Chapter 7 Virtue Ethics: Be a Good Person

According to Aristotle, generosity, like any virtue, is a mean between two extremes. Select the two statements below that describe the extremes between which generosity lies.

-Valuing money so much that one parts with it only with great difficulty. -Valuing money too little, and giving it so freely that one runs out.

Aristotle makes the following argument about human flourishing. 1. The function of a human being is to reason 2. 3. Therefore, a good human is one who reasons well

A good thing is one that fulfills its function well

Linda is helping her friend David study for his advanced math class. Linda really likes and respects David, but this is not why she helps him - she helps him purely out of a sense of duty. Linda believes that this duty to help David arises because he is her friend and she is able to help him a great deal. Which of the following judgements about Linda would an Aristotelian virtue ethicist make? Which would a Kantian nonconsequentialist make?

An Aristotelian virtue ethicist would say... -Linda is doing the right thing -Linda is not fully virtuous A Kantian nonconsequentialist would say... -Linda is doing the right thing -Linda's action has the greatest possible moral worth

Golden Mean

Aristotle's notion of a virtue as a balance between two behavioral extremes

Virtue ethics says that which determines if an action is right is if a virtuous person would do it based on their judgment. Given this feature, which of the criteria of moral adequacy does virtue ethics satisfy?

Correct: -consistency with our considered moral judgments Incorrect: -consistency with our moral experiences -coherence -usefulness in moral problem solving

Which of the following is a major difference between moral and intellectual virtues, according to Aristotle?

intellectual virtues can be taught, but moral virtues can only be learned through practice

Jun Lin is in a difficult situation. His friend Nadia has asked him what he thinks about her poetry. Jun Lin generally tries to tell the truth, but in this case, his opinion is that Nadia's poetry is inelegant. If he says this, Nadia's feelings are likely to be hurt, and that could damage their friendship. Since Jun Lin is a virtue ethicist, which of the following describes how he would think about this situation?

How Jun Lin Would Think: -he would ask himself whether a virtuous person, such as Martin Luther King Jr., would lie in this situation -he would think about what the Golden Mean would be in this particular situation Not How Jun Lin Would Think: -he would do whatever would contribute more to his friend's eudaemonia (happiness) -he would not give much thought to the situation, since virtue ethics is concerned with having the best character, not with performing the correct action -he would not lie, since lying violates the moral rule "Tell the truth."

Match each virtue below with the category it best fits into: intellectual virtues or moral virtues.

Moral Virtues: -courage -honesty Intellectual Virtues: -wisdom -prudence

Sally is a virtuous person, but recently she found herself in a moral dilemma. She is a chemist, and the company she works for may use her work to make chemical weapons to be sold to the highest bidder. However, if she resigns, someone else who specializes in making chemical weapons will probably take her place, and the company will make even more weapons. Although Sally isn't sure of her choice, she eventually decides to resign. It is up for debate whether Sally did the right thing. How does that pose a problem for virtue ethics, given that Sally is a virtuous person?

Problems for Virtue Ethics Illustrated by Sally's Dilemma: -it shows that it is not always clear what a virtuous person should do -it shows that what is right is independent of a person's character Not Problems for Virtue Ethics Illustrated by Sally's Dilemma: -it shows that in some situations there is not right decision to make -it shows that virtues are only helpful in situations where there is no great danger of harm to others

One could challenge virtue ethics by noting that it is not always clear what a virtuous person would do. One proposed—but problematic—solution to this objection is to claim that we can identify virtuous people by their actions, since people who reliably do the right thing are most likely virtuous. Why is this solution problematic?

Reasons for why this solution is problematic: -this solution is circular/tautological, using the action to define the person and the person to define the action at the same time Not reasons for why this solution is problematic: -virtuous people do not reliably do the right thing -what matters for virtue ethics is whether one is virtuous, not whether others are -it is not important for virtue ethics to identify what a virtuous person would do

Which of the following are beliefs that virtue ethics, consequentialism, and nonconsequentialism share? Which of the following are not?

Shared Beliefs: -Virtue is an important part of being a good person. -Discovering the right thing to do is important. Not Shared Beliefs: -Moral conduct is primarily a matter of applying a moral principle or rule. -Moral rightness is determined by the amount of happiness created by an action.

Which of the following is a reason for thinking that we need moral principles in addition to virtues in order to know which actions are right and which are wrong?

it is hard to know which character traits are virtuous unless we know which principles should be acted on

which of the following is supposed to be an advantage of virtue ethics?

it provides a plausible explanation of the role of motivation in moral action

One of the criteria of moral adequacy is consistency with out moral experience. In what way does virtue ethics meet this criterion?

it shows that there is an indispensable role for character in our moral decision making

According to Aristotle, once a person has achieved eudaemonia, they have achieved happiness. At that point, how do they become a good person.

if they have achieved eudaemonia, they are already a good person

Virtue

a stable disposition to act and feel according to some ideal or model of excellence

Virtue Ethics

a theory of morality that makes virtue the central concern

One problem for virtue ethics is that it is not always clear what a virtuous person would do. One proposed solution to the problem is to claim that a virtuous person would act in accordance with a moral principle, such as the categorical imperative. Which of the following is a problem with this proposed solution?

defining what a virtuous person would do in terms of adherence to a moral principle undermines the point of virtue ethics

One objection to virtue ethics is that virtues can conflict. One way to respond to this objection is to create a rule for weighting which virtues are more important than others in cases of conflict. Which of the following is a problem with this response?

defining what a virtuous person would do in terms of maximizing happiness undermines the point of virtue ethics

Aristotle argues that the way humans achieve eudaimonia is through fulfilling their _______. According to Aristotle, this fulfillment is best described as living fully in accordance with _____.

function; reason

Eudaimonia

happiness or flourishing

According to Aristotle, why does eudaemonia require virtue?

humans achieve eudaemonia by living in accordance with reason, and virtue is a rational mode of behavior

Immanuel is a person who always does what is right. For instance, when he encounters someone who needs money, he gives them money, but does not give too much or too little. Although it is a constant struggle for him to do the right thing and part with his money, he always does it out of a sense of duty. Would Aristotle say that Immanuel is virtuous?

no because Immanuel does not want to do what he does

If, as virtue ethics suggests, virtues can conflict with each other, that poses a problem for which moral criterion of adequacy?

usefulness in moral problem solving

One objection to virtue ethics is that virtues can conflict. But-based moral theories like Kantian ethics face a similar problem: moral principles can conflict. One response to this problem for duty-based theories is to _________. Virtue ethics can use a similar strategy to _______, providing an answer to the objection.

weight one principle more than another; weight one virtue more than another

Dante is facing a moral dilemma because his good friend has cheated on an exam. Dante isn't sure if he should tell their teacher, so he asks his friend Alexandra what he should do. Alexandra, a virtue ethicist, tells Dante that __________. However, in order for this to be helpful, Dante would have to know ________.

what is right is whatever a virtuous person would do; what a virtuous person would do in the situation

Is it possible for a virtuous person to do something immoral?

yes, because a virtue is a disposition to reliably do the right think, not to always do the right thing