Notes for Virtue Ethics (Aristotle)
Notes from Tracy Mason

Virtue Ethics- Overall approach defines the characteristics of the ideally good person (rather then trying to find out what make particular acts right or wrong.)
Need to find out what the characteristics are. Aristotle uses virtues- GK ar ete “excellence”. To him the difference between a successful person and a moral person is nill.
- Goal of morality is successful living or is eudaimonia. Translated is-happiness. Aristotle says if you have eudaimonia ….. You will be happy, but it is not the same as happiness.
- Goal of morality= human flourishing or successful living. His point is everyone aims at the good for themselves but sometime mistakes what this amounts to.
- Artists would say the ultimate success is a life of contemplation or “intellectual activity.”
- Aristotle’s idea: human beings =rational. Inanimate objects, plants and animals all have their oven nature.
Plants have: growth, reproduction, and nutrition
Animals have: growth, reproduction, nutrition and movement
Humans have all of the above plus rationality
- Aristotle says, “ How can you have a successful life without servants, money, or a deformity”? You can’t. T o be successful it is all about life of contemplation (most important), social life, health, good looks, and money

-Virtue is a character trait – disposition to act in a certain way- behavioral habits.
Virtue is good behavioral habits that lead to success. Example:
Moderation and temperance
In view it is appreciation and seeking pleasure. Want to avoid:
Excess deficiency
(hedonistic, (repressed, and
syberite, and workaholics)
over indoulgence)

What happens if you seek too much pleasure? It is short term and Aristotle says, a person is not going to do anything with himself, he will end up with no goals.

-Aristotle saw courage as a virtue:
Excess deficiency
(Foolhardiness) (Cowardice)

· Virtue is found in a mean between extremes. (As shown above)
How do you know where virtue goes? You learn where the mean goes by practice. Moral judgment is a skill and like any skill you learn by practice…. Use judgment.

· Aquinas says that humility is the virtue in Christianity- says you should down play accomplishments and give glory to god.

- An objection to Aristotle’s Theory is there is no way to settle disputes because the mean is found by intuition and practice.
- His reply might have been, use you common sense.

Read Pg. 398-399 in Ros. and 121-134 in Poj.

Extra Credit: 1-5 pages. Can do up to five pages
1 point per page. This is on “ In the brave new world” The Utilitarian Social Engineer and the savage. Pg. 269-291(Pojman)