Virtue Ethics

• virtue ethics focuses on the actions/character of a good person
• virtue ethics is agent-centred
• arete


  excellence
• virtue ethics could be considered empty and circular
• disposition


  tendency to behave in a particular way
• virtue is a disposition possessed by good people
• virtue ethicists take a more holistic approach to making moral judgements
• holistic


  characterized by the belief that the parts of something are intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole
• define the difference between a virtue and a vice


  virtue - tendency to behave in a positive way, actions associated with good people

  vice - tendency to behave in a negative way, actions associated with bad people
• act centred ethics focus on the actions of the person. In those cases morality is based on outcome(utility), or intention(deontology)
• agent-centred ethics involves the judgement of character or the person involved. Less emphasis is placed on the action itself as good people tend to do good things
• something is good in so far as it performs its function effectively
• ergon


  function
• the concept of good is connected with the idea of function
• eudamonia 


  happiness, to flourish
• the utimate good in life is to reach eudamonia
• pleasure is an instrumental good, but not the final end. Eudamonia is the final end to which all other ends contribute
• Aristotle defines eudamonia as a state of flourishing
• to flourish is to achieve ones potential, for example perform ones function
• the function of a human being is to "live well"
• Eudamonia is not a fleeting state of mind whereas happiness is
• For one to be eudaimon, they must subscribe to that line of thinking and let the mantra guide their actions.
• eudaimonia is not subjective, but an objective judgement of one's whole life
• eudaimonia is intrinsically linked to the happiness of others
• Aristotle suggests that ones own flourishing is linked to that of the community
• living eudamoniacally is a permanent way of living
• "one swallow does not make a summer" - Aristotle
• although different pleasures and eudaimonia are connected, pleasure is necessary for eudaimonia to be achieved.
• You cannot live a life of "flourishing" without pleasure, so pleasure and eudaimonia are linked
• In order for one to desire eudaimonia, it must be pleasurable otherwise it wouldn't be desirable
• "the temperate man does not seek an excess of pleasure"
• Overindulgence is harmful and doesn't lead to general flourishing
• a good thing(or a virtuous person) functions well
• Plato and Aristotle believed that the ultimate goal in life was to achieve eudaimonia.
• Aristotle defines eudaimonia in a way such that it is linked with living a morally good life
• one cannot be happy via exploiting the community
• one aims to flourish and lead a good life, achieve eudaimonia
• individual flourishing is linked with the flourishing o the commuuntiy. Being a good human involves helping others to flourish
• eudaimonia as the highest end

  - it is the highest good

  - end to all other goods

  - other goods are ways of living well(to achieve eudaimonia)

  - other aims, we aim for, for their own sake which contribute to the overall flourishing
• eudaimonia must be complete and self sufficient