Q11 - Virtue Ethics

Which of the following is true?

A story like Ashley's strongly suggests that principle-based theories are incomplete.

If I act kindly in some situation, then that proves that I have the virtue of kindliness.

False

If I act in an appropriately courageous way in one particular situation, then

I have acted virtuously in that case.

Which of the following moral questions is the most difficult for virtue theory to address?

Should society pursue human cloning?

Aristotle believes that living a virtuous life is necessary to attaining happiness (eudaimonia).

True

Aristotle says that people all start out differently at birth, and each of us must follow our own particular path to achieve virtue.

True

Aristotle tells us that there are differences between people regarding the virtues. To develop the virtue of courage, for instance, one person might have to practice taking greater risks; another person might have to learn to hold back a bit.

True

Virtue-based ethics suggests that it is probably impossible to provide universal moral principles that can tell us what we should do in all situations; morality is just too complicated for such a cookie-cutter approach.

True

Select all correct responses: According to Aristotle, which of the following are required for a person to be virtuous?

You must know the right thing to do. You must do the right thing. Your choice to do the right thing should arise from your inner character.

The several right choices aspect of virtue theory entails that

a limited range of acts may be morally acceptable.

According to Aristotle, our virtue or vice is

a result of our choices as influenced by our environment.

Select all correct responses: Aristotle says that

becoming virtuous can be made harder if society has poor laws and poor leaders. even in a society with good laws and virtuous leaders, people still must practice to develop virtue. there still can be virtuous people even in a society with poor laws and poor leaders.

Virtue always falls between two extremes. Aristotle uses the words ________________ and _________________ to describe the two extremes or vices for any action or passion.

deficiency excess

Hunt's obligation virtues most closely relate to

deontological theories like Kant's ethics.

The possibility of several right choices in virtue theory

does not make virtue theory a version of subjectivism since it still rules out other possible choices.

For virtue theory, the aspect called moral motivation suggests that the virtuous person will normally find it

easy, unlike other people, to act virtuously.

Suppose that a virtue theory is based upon a few foundational moral virtues that it simply takes to be morally good in themselves without providing any further account. This could be considered a weakness primarily in virtue theory's

explanatory power.

Given virtue theory, if you want to know how you should act, you should

find a virtuous person and act like they typically do.

According to Aristotle, every activity we do is aimed toward just one overall and ultimate good. What is that good?

happiness

Select all correct responses: A virtue theorist would probably say that a vicious person

has long acted in vicious ways. would find it hard to act virtuously.

A virtue theorist would say that the impartiality of principle-based theories

ignores the importance of our feelings and inclinations.

One might complain that virtue theory is incomplete. This complaint could refer all of the following except

it doesn't offer any help to us as we try to actually become morally better persons.

Limiting virtues like courage relate most closely to

mainly just virtue theory.

Aristotle uses the word __________________ to describe the balance of virtue between these extremes.

mean

Good promoting virtues like generosity

most closely relate to consequentialist theories.

Virtue theory would describe our moral thinking about how to act in a particular situation as

most often following the pattern of moral reflection.

According to virtue theory, it is possible for more than one way of acting to be right in the same set of conditions. This is called

neither a nor b

The view that our becoming moral persons is more basic and more important that keeping a set of rules is called

primacy of character.

We might say that someone who obeys general moral prescriptions is virtuous. This is the way

principle-based theories would talk about being virtuous.

Which of the following would best capture the essential idea behind Aristotle's views on developing virtue in children? We should

provide opportunities to act virtuously in real life settings.

According to Aristotle, human beings are unique because only human beings achieve

rationality

Select all correct responses: The problem of virtue's attainability is raised by

the fact that people must have correct moral beliefs to be virtuous, but for most societies this isn't likely. a variety of accounts that maintain that humans are not born morally neutral or morally good.

According to Aristotle, what is inborn or innate?

the potential to develop virtue

An objection to virtue theory is that

there are various reasons to wonder if it is even possible to develop virtue.

Choose the best answer: Aristotle says that being generous, say, requires achieving the right balance. This means that we must

we should know and balance all of the preceding things.

People sometimes say that they were unable to do the right thing because they lacked the willpower. A virtue theorist would probably answer that

what they need to do is practice virtuous habits.

The "golden mean" for virtue

will be -- depending on the virtue -- in different places relative to the excess and deficiency.