The Ethics of Character: Virtues & Vices

1. The Ethics of Character:Virtues & Vices

2. Socrates’ opening premise of thought: “I don’t know anything” – this will lead to a truer knowledge of the things of God. To live the life of integrity/truth -- no matter what the cost. “Know thyself and to thine own self be true” (Hamlet, Shakespeare). Learning the deeper truths of life is a process – and that the beginning stage is like being imprisoned in a cave. To reach the truth – the Sun – is to see things for what they truly are vs. living in the world of shadows. Reference: Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” from The Republic. The slavery of ignorance vs. freedom of true knowledge Basic Socratic Concepts for Morality

8. Plato’s & Aristotle’s view of the problem in the world and their proposed solutionFrom Peter Kreeft • Problem: We (and society) are full of vice. • Cause: Ignorance. We ignorantly do vice because we think it will be good for us. • Solution: Virtue. Good individuals will create a good society. Virtuous individuals will create a virtuous society. • Way to Virtue: Knowledge. If we know what is good for us, it follows that we will follow what is good for us (and society).

9. A Primer on Aristotle • Anybody can become angry -- that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way -- that is not within everybody's power and is not easy. -- Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics • To enjoy the things we ought and to hate the things we ought has the greatest bearing on excellence of character. -- Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

10. A Primer on Aristotle “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics “With regard to excellence, it is not enough to know, but we must try to have and use it.” Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

11. A Primer on Aristotle • He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god; he is no part of a state. -- Aristotle, Politics

12. A Primer on Aristotle • It is not sufficient to know what one ought to say, but one must also know how to say it. -- Aristotle, Rhetoric • A sense of wonder started men philosophizing, in ancient times as well as today. Their wondering is aroused, first, by trivial matters; but they continue on from there to wonder about less mundane matters such as the changes of the moon, sun, and stars, and the beginnings of the universe. What is the result of this wonderment, this puzzlement? An awesome feeling of ignorance. Men began to philosophize, therefore, to escape ignorance. -- From Metaphysics

13. Aristotle’s Basic Concepts for Morality -- Summary What is the goal of life? To be happy. Path to happiness: The life of happiness/flourishing (eudamonia) is the ethical life. Everything has a function (“everything in its place”) – what is the human function? To be rational. What does it mean to be rational? To be rational is to follow the ethical norms and not to let the passions guide our behavior. To behave unethically is to not to be fully human. True knowledge is to progress in morality/ethics. Virtue is a habit that must be developed – so, too, vice is a habit that develops after repetition.

14. Flourishing vs. Withering The Natural World as Instructive

15. Virtue and HabitVirtue -- From GreekRoot “Manly or Courageous” For Aristotle, virtue is something that is practiced and thereby learned—it is habit (hexis). An athlete doesn’t automatically become a good athlete -- he must practice. So, too, with virtue -- it must be practiced in order to be followed. “Habits of the heart” are difficult to break -- some of these become addictions.

16. Aristotle’s Basic Concepts for Morality Sound ethical choices are made by finding the mean between extremes. A good action has to be good in the intention, act and end result. If any of these are lacking, the act becomes immoral.

17. 7. The soul is made up of 3 parts: (1) the will, (2) the emotions/passions and (3) the intellect – the key is to have the intellect (our reason/mind) govern the will and the passions/emotions (like a rudder). AristotleSummary Points

18. Judging Moral Actions(Aristotle)Intention/Motive, Action and End A neutral act - To sit in a chair Motive -- To become more comfortable Circumstance -- at home Made bad by Intention -- to break the chair Made bad by act/circumstance -- the chair is part of a museum exhibit

19. Judging Moral Actions Good act -- to give to the poor Intention -- charity Made bad by Intention -- to impress someone Made bad by act/circumstance -- you stole the money (what you took belonged to someone else). “…an added bad intention (pride/vainglory) makes an act evil that, in and of itself, can be good (such as giving to the poor).” CCC # 1753

20. Examples of scenarios deficient in intention Intention is to get service hours -- serve the poor (good action), poor are served (good end) -- but my intention was merely to get service hours (with little concern for those I was serving). Intention -- to make someone jealous by befriending another teen. Good action -- befriending someone. Good end -- making a new friend. Morally deficient since my intention was to get even with another person by befriending someone else.

22. Examples of scenarios deficient in intention Intention -- being nice to a teacher to that he/she will give me a good grade. Good action -- being nice to someone. Good end result -- getting a better grade. Morally deficient since the purpose of being kind to the teacher was simply to get something out of them -- ‘using them as a means to my end’ (or employer in a similar scenario -- in order to get a raise)

23. Examples of scenarios deficient by ‘act’ Intention -- to help heal people from disease. Act -- killing human embryos or cloning human embryos for the purpose of destroying them. End -- humans are helped from disease. Scenario is made unethical/immoral by act (destroying human life).

24. Examples of scenarios deficient in ‘end’ result Intention -- To make oneself happy. Action -- Loving your secretary at work. End result -- destroy your family and children’s lives by cheating on your wife. Good intention -- to be happy. Good act -- to love someone (not exactly of course). Made bad by end result. Intention - To make more money for my company. Action -- make a good business deal. End result -- a number of employees are laid off so that I and a few others will profit and others will lose their jobs.

25. Judging Moral Actions Bottom line -- if all three -- the intention, action and end result -- are good, then the action is good. Or, applied: “the ends can never justify the means.”

26. Judge Thyself Come up with your own scenarios that are made immoral either by the intention, act or end being wrong/deficient. (In other words, they appear ‘moral’ on the surface, but in fact, are immoral based on some deficiency.) 1) Intention 2) Act 3) End Result

30. Virtue As the Golden Mean Strength of character (virtue), Aristotle suggests, involves finding the proper balance between two extremes. Excess: having too much of something. Deficiency: having too little of something. Not mediocrity, but harmony and balance. Tai Chi and other forms of martial arts are an Eastern expression of this -- finding perfect mental and physical balance.

31. Acceptance Curiosity Flexibility Devotion Forgiveness Honesty Humility Loyalty Patience Prudence Courage Spontaneity Determination Strength Humor Responsibility Sobriety Obedience Industry/hard working What is the excess and what is the defect of the following virtues?

32. Virtue • St. Thomas Aquinas • “a good operative habit, which is pleasant, firm and spontaneously directed by right reason” • Virtuous behavior leads to a flourishing life • directs passions to love what we should, when we should, as much as we should

33. Temperance Over-Indulgence Lack of Care Insensibility

34. Moderation In Food/Drink No Concern or Misguided Concern About Food Gluttony

35. Self-Love:Deficiency Deficiency Too little feeling: self-loathing Too little self-knowledge: unwilling or unable to look at one’s own motivations, feelings, etc. Too little acting: not taking steps to insure one’s own well-being

36. Self-Love:Excess Too much caring for self = self-centered Too much self-valuing = arrogant, conceited Too much self-knowledge = narcissistic Too muchacting for self = selfish

37. Sobriety "Alcohol is Evil!" Drunkenness Virtue I should have listened in Mr. Gavin’s Class…

38. Frigid / “Body is Evil” Lust / Hedonism Chastity Virtue

39. Humility Obsequious Human Doormat Pride

40. Standing Against Injustice Anger Acting out in Violence Having No Spine Virtue

41. Clemency Leniency Unmerciful Virtue

42. Excessive Modesty? Modesty Immodesty Virtue

43. Modesty Amy Kerr Matt Smith Erika Harold Miss Jr. America MTV’s Real World Miss America

44. Extravagance Magnificence Stinginess Virtue

45. Virtue

46. Wimpy/Quitter Perseverance Stubborn Virtue

47. Generous Covetous/Hoarding Overly Generous

48. Rashness ------- Courage ------- Cowardice

49. Compassion Bleeding Heart "Waaaa!" Callous "Whatever!"

50. The Four Cardinal Virtues • The four cardinal virtues -- • Prudence • Justice • Temperance • Fortitude • are the hinges of the other virtues. • All the other virtues (chastity, modesty, forgiveness, honor, magnificence, etc.) all stem from these four cardinal virtues.