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Ethics (and Morals) Virtue & Character

Ethics (and Morals) Virtue & Character. Ethics and Morals are different Morals are value judgments, beliefs, principles, and rules for ordinary life

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Ethics (and Morals)

Virtue & Character

Ethics and Morals are different

Morals are value judgments, beliefs, principles, and rules for ordinary life. Latin root: mores= norms. Morals are specific.

Ethics steps back and considers the reasons and foundations for one’s beliefs or, let’s say, a country’s moral laws. Greek root: ethos=character. Ethics involves reasoning about morals. Ethics is the study of morals, not the other way around.

Examples of morals

Cary Nation and the Temperance Movement

Moses and his _____________

Code of Hammurabi195: If a son strike his father, his hands shall be [cut] off. (4)196: If a [noble-]man put out the eye of another [noble-]man, his eye shall be put out. (5)197: If he break another [noble-]man's bone, his bone shall be broken.198: If he put out the eye or break the bone of a commoner, he shall pay one [silver] mina.

Ethical foundations for moral behavior

We will explore agent-centered virtue ethics!

But wait, what is an agent? A: someone who makes decisions to shape their lives, reality, etc.; the capacity to do this is called, in philosophy, “agency”

What is Virtue Ethics?

• De-emphasizes– intentions– consequences – rules

• Emphasizes the person who is acting

• Inquires whether the person is expressing good character

The question is…

• Not: What should I do?• But rather: What sort of person should

I be?How do I build good

character?

What is character?

• The Sum of All Our Traits (virtues & vices)

• Virtues are Character traits which…

• Enable us to act well habitually

• Require the right kind of inner attitude & motivation

• Cannot be detected from the outside

Moral Character is the first essential in a man.~George Washington

How do we acquire virtue?• Practical wisdom

– Comes from observing human affairs carefully

– Comes from remembering how our actions & the actions of others have played out

• The more we develop a virtuous character & acquire practical wisdom– The greater chance we will act

well in life• Good actions from from good

character• Good character is essential to

human happiness

Aristotle and Virtue TheoryThe Golden Mean

The ratio of the following distances is the Golden Ratio: (foot to navel) : (navel to head)

Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics

• Seeks to develop individual character

• Assumes good persons will make good decisions

• Be a ‘good’ person

Aristotle &Happiness

• Happiness = eudaimonia• Happiness is not a result or end• Happiness is not something we look forward

to after toil and suffering• Happiness is a way of life, made possible by

virtuous living• Happiness is an activity of the soul in accord

with perfect virtue.

Virtue &Habit

• For Aristotle, virtue is something that is practiced and thereby learned—it is habit (hexis).

• This has clear implications for moral education, for Aristotle obviously thinks that you can teach people to be virtuous.

• Role models become very important

Virtue As the Golden Mean

• Aristotle says virtue 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.• The Mean varies from person to person• There are many ways of behaving & thus many ways

to be happy

A Virtuous Life Means Balance

Take one of the cardinal virtues away, then one happens?

At school? • Competence• Teamwork• Social justice• Mellowness of heart

ExamplesEmotion: fear• Vice-deficiency = rashness• Vice-excess=cowardice• Virtue-mean=courage

Action: giving money• Vice-deficiency=stinginess• Vice-excess=prodigality• Virtue-mean=generosity

The Greek’s 4 Cardinal Virtues