Aristotles Virtue Ethics GROUP 1

Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics
GROUP 1 – FILIPINO & SCIENCE MAJOR
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The following excerpts clarifies what virtue ethics is
An ethical act is the action that a virtuous person would do in the same
circumstances. Virtue ethics is person-based rather than action-based. It looks at the
virtue or moral character of the person carrying out an action, rather than at ethical
duties and rules or the consequences of particular actions.
Virtue ethics does not only deal with the rightness or wrongness of individual
actions. It provides guidance as to the sort of characteristics and behaviors a good
person will seek to achieve. In that way, virtue ethics is concerned with the whole of a
person's life, rather than particular episodes or actions. A good person is someone who
lives virtuously - who possesses and lives the virtues.
This is how it is done:
1
Virtue ethics uses the following as a framework for
ethical decision making. This is how it is done:
In the Virtue framework, we try to identify the character
traits (either positive or negative) that might motivate us in a
given situation. We are concerned with what kind of person we 2
should be and what our actions indicate about our character. We
define ethical behavior as whatever a virtuous person would do in
the situation, and we seek to develop similar virtues
Obviously, this framework is useful in situations that ask
what sort of person one should be. As a way of making sense of 3
the world, it allows for a wide range of behaviors to be called
ethical, as there might be many different types of good character
and many paths to developing it. Consequently, it takes into
account all parts of human experience and their role in ethical
deliberation, as it believes that all of one's experiences, emotions, 4
and thoughts can influence the development of one's character.
VIRTUE ETHICS 1
Stated similarly, virtue ethics is "the ethics of behavior"

which "focuses on the character of the persons involved in the
Contact
decision or action. If the person in question has good character, 2
and genuine motivation and intentions, he or she is behaving
ethically." The rightness or wrongness of one's action, or the
goodness or badness of one's personality depends on his
character, motivations, and intentions
3
Virtue ethics, “is an ethics whose goal is to determine what
essential to being a well-functioning or flourishing human
person. Virtue ethics stresses an ideal for humans or persons. As
an ethics of ideals of excellences, it is an optimistic and positive 4
type of ethics."
Basic Types of Virtue (Excellence) 1
Aristotle gave two types of virtue. These are

1) intellectual virtues and 2) moral virtues. 2
Intellectual virtues refer to excellence of
the mind while moral virtues refer to a
person's dispositions to act well. Intellectual3
virtues include ability to understand, reason
and judge well while moral virtues dispose a
person to act well. 4
ARISTOTLE 1
In the context of Aristotle, virtue is an

attained, actualized or self-realized potential 2
or possibility. It can serve as a moral

framework. When one has the potential or
possibility of becoming a musician, he tries 3
to train and study to become a musician

following a musician's virtue as a
4
framework
M
ARISTOTLE
Aristotle (384-323 BC) posited an ethical system that may be
termed "self realizationism." In Aristotle's view, when a person T
acts in accordance with his nature and realizes his full potential,
he will do good and be content. At birth, a baby is not a person,
but a potential person. To become a "real" person, the child's
inherent potential must be realized. Unhappiness and frustration W
are caused by the unrealized potential of a person, leading to failed
goals and a poor life. Aristotle said, "Nature does nothing in vain."
Therefore, it is imperative for people to act in accordance with their
nature and develop their latent talents in order to be content and T
complete. Happiness was held to be the ultimate goal. All other
things, such as civic life or wealth, are merely means to the end.
Self-realization, the awareness of one's nature and the development
of one's talents, is the surest path to happiness. F
M
VIRTUE
The material world is in state of actualizing, realizing what it is potential
for. Everything has its potency for something, its nature. Nature unfolds T
naturally, it has no obligation to be so. It has no intellect and will. But a
person has an obligation to be what he/she is meant or in potency to be. It
his/her obligation to develop his/her talent and virtues. The highest good or
W
end, telos, of a person is the fullness of his/her self-development or
actualization. The concomitant result of this development or actualization of
his/her potentials is what Aristotle termed as happiness or the experience of
happiness. T
In short, virtue means excellence and virtue ethics is excellence ethics.
F
M
Virtue as a Mean
For Aristotle, virtue is the Golden Mean T
between two extremes. The virtue of

courage is a mean between two extremes of
W
deficiency and extreme, namely cowardice
and foolhardiness, respectively. Too little
courage is cowardice and too much courage T
is foolhardiness)
F
M
Virtue Ethics in Other Traditions
Confucius emphasized two virtues, jen (or ren) and I T

Jen means humaneness, human-heartedness and
compassion. Li means propriety manners or culture.
W
Hinduism emphasizes five basic moral virtues: non-
violence, truthfulness, honesty, chastity, freedom from
greed. It also emphasizes mental virtues: calmness, self- T
control, self-settledness, forbearance, faith and complete
concentration. hunger for spiritual liberation.
F
M
Buddhism also has its intellectual and moral virtues. From the eight
fold path are the intellectual virtues of right understanding and right T
mindfulness and the moral virtues of right speech, right action and right
livelihood
W
Jesus Christ preached the virtues of love, mercy and compassion,
hunger for justice, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control St.
Thomas Aquinas taught the theological virtues - faith, hope and love.
Christian tradition teaches four cardinal moral virtues, namely: T
prudence, justice,
temperance and fortitude.
F
M
St. Thomas being an eclectic philosopher, integrated into his own philosophy anything
that is good conceived by his predecessors like Aristotle. But he enriched their thoughts with
T
his own insights or learning. The attainment of the highest good, which is happiness, includes
its diffusion "Bonum difusivum est." Goodness as goodness necessarily diffuses itself. A
person's virtue diffuses itself in a right action. Goodness shares itself, like a light that shines
before all men. W
One more point regarding various potentials of man which when actualized becomes
virtues is Hans George Gadamer's re-interpretation of Aristotle definition of man as a "homo
logos," a speaking animal. In other words, in the light Aristotle's wisdom, the virtue of being
T
man is being a speaking animal, meaning, his attainment of a meaningful, refined, and civilized
language. Gutter language is vice; beautiful, meaningful and refined language is virtue. One
who has a virtue of a refined language
speaks rightfully. F
M
T
The virtuous person did not inherit his/her
virtues. Neither were these virtues simply passed on
to him automatically. His being a person of virtue is W
a product of deliberate, consistent, continuous choice
and practice of living the virtue or virtues.
F
MEMBERS:
Aljhon Pesigan – Science Major

Allysa Nicole De Claro – Filipino Major
Jela Almoneda – Science Major
Angela Comeso – Science Major
April Joy Ganton – Filipino Major
Carla Buzeta – Science Major
END!
THANK
YOU!

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Aristotles Virtue Ethics GROUP 1

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Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics

GROUP 1 – FILIPINO & SCIENCE MAJOR

Stated similarly, virtue ethics is "the ethics of behavior"

Aristotle gave two types of virtue. These are

In the context of Aristotle, virtue is an

or possibility. It can serve as a moral

to train and study to become a musician

In short, virtue means excellence and virtue ethics is excellence ethics.

For Aristotle, virtue is the Golden Mean T

between two extremes. The virtue of

Confucius emphasized two virtues, jen (or ren) and I T

Aljhon Pesigan – Science Major

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