Virtue Ethics (Aristotle)

1. Virtue Ethics(Aristotle) Guiding Principle 3

2. Virtue Ethics • A virtue is an admirable quality seen to produce success or benefit in a given community. • So, in virtue ethics virtues are admirable qualities that lead to moral excellence! • Modern day Virtue Ethics proponents include Elizabeth Anscombe and Alasdair MacIntyre • A philosophy first developed by ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322BCE), who asked: • What does it mean to live a good life?

3. Aristotle • Believed that we can make a conscious effort to be good • “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.” (Nicomachean Ethics) • In Aristotle’s society there were very specific virtues that you needed to ‘be good’: strength, courage, comradeship (friendliness), justice, temperance (control) and wisdom.

4. Virtue ethics suggests that people cannot live alone as individuals in a society. • For society to work, we need to cooperate and live together. • If there are virtues that everyone aspires to and practices, then society will be better for everyone. • Aristotle believed that you could be a good man by practicing these virtues until they became ingrained in you, until you acted like that without needing to think about it: • You could become temperate by ensuring you controlled your emotions and actions and did not go to extremes in anything. • You became brave by doing actions that would be considered brave

5. Aristotle & The Good Life • Aristotle’s aim was for everyone to lead what he called the ‘good life’ and achieve happiness (eudaimonia). • People are not just naturally ‘happy’ – you must work for it. • This good life could only be achieved by following the virtues. • If you follow the virtues then you are living according to the Golden Mean (a balance between extremes of behaviour) • Today, different societies might have different virtues that would lead to happiness (or more modern ways of expressing the same things Aristotle did!)

6. Judging People • People are considered to be good by demonstrating that they are living according to virtues. • This means that you are judged on your actions and their outcomes. You intentions do not count so much. • For example, if you practice doing kind things and making others happy, then this will become a habit and you will begin to think in a kind way. • If you do not genuinely want to be a kind person, then you will fail and people will see by your actions that you are not a good person.

7. Becoming Good • It is not enough to simply try and do ‘good stuff’ • If you do not understand why something is a virtue, you will not be able to practice it properly. • Due to this reason was also important to Aristotle – you need to think through each situation, and understand how you should act in it (according to virtues) • It is not easy to follow virtues – it requires understanding and effort. • If people genuinely want to be good they can achieve it, through dedication and effort. • This separates a virtuous man from a non-virtuous man.