Intellectual and Moral Virtues

What is political science?

A species of prudence as it involves ensuring the good life for the whole city.

What state is an intellectual virtue?

A state of wisdom

What is an intellectual virtue?

A trait of thought it is rational

What is the purpose of moral virtues?

Doing the greater good and being a better person by learning from mistakes and doing what feels right naturally.

What is the Doctrine of the mean intended to do?

Help us identify which states of character are virtuous ones.

What do Liberality and Magnificence mean?

Generosity.

What are passions?

Our feelings,our desires, fears and ambitions.

How are moral virtues expressed?

By behaviour.

Quote about discussion

"our discussion will be adequate if it has as much clearness as the subject matter admits of."

What is a virtue?

A skill or excellence.

What did Aristotle say about being virtuous?

Although we have the potential to be virtuous only a few people achieve it fully.

What do intellectual virtues aim at?

An extreme more knowledge and understanding is better.

What is virtue?

An ongoing pattern of behavior.

Why cant virtues be passions?

Because we are not praised or blamed for our feelings because they arise involuntarily in response to circumstances.

What excellencies of character do moral and intellectual virtues acheive?

Being of "great soul" Being just and fair Having practical wisdom in leadership Being a good friend Having the nobility (kalokagathia) of a gentleman.

What were the SECONDARY intellectual virtues?

Cleverness Understanding Resourcefulness Judgement

What are states of character?

Complex tendencies or dispositions to act and feel certain ways under certain circumstances.

Describe the process of moral virtues?

From childhood virtuous habits are formed and a man becomes virtuous.

Whats the main aim of moral life?

Friendship because without friendship justice is meaningless.

What is the main aim of moral life?

Friendship.

What view of virtues is Aristotle left with?

He is left with the view that virtues are states of character.

Why do we need moral and intellectual virtues?

If we practice the virtues we will achieve eudaimonia.

Where do most people learn intellectual virtues?

In educational subjects such as maths and science.

What specific part of the the irrational soul are the moral virtues?

In the appetitive part where desires and emotions can be found.

Where are moral virtues developed?

In the irrational part of the soul.

Where are intellectual virtues developed?

In the rational part of the soul.

What two factors do we obtain intellectual virtues from?

Inheritance and education.

What are faculties?

Our natural capacities for feeling and acting in various ways that we can.

Whats the main difference of moral and intellectual virtues?

Intellectual virtues develop "good" characteristics of the mind. Wheres moral virtues develop "good" characteristics of the person.

What does using practical wisdom acheive?

It allows us to to control and channel our desires and emotions.

What was virtues like for Aristotle?

It became like playing a musical instrument requiring teaching and practice and allowing you to perform with pleasure skill and grace.

What does the doctrine of the mean not tell us?

It doesnt tell us what circumstances warrant what degree of passion with respect to sexual virtue or other virtues.

How is it refreshing?

It has a refreshing breadth rather than focusing on reason and logic.

How is phronesis used?

It is connected to the moral virtues and is used through Doctrine of the Mean.

What is phronesis/prudence?

It is this with which the person addresses the situation before analysing what would be the virtuous thing to do.

Where does virtue lie?

It lies between the two extremes of over doing it and not doing it enough.

What happens with practicing moral virtues alone?

It may lead to conformity and being automaton.

What did Aristotle say about scientific or aesthetic judgement?

It wont help to build the habit of virtue in the way practical intelligence (pgronesis) does because phronesis provides us with reliable knowledge of individual and social welfare.

How is the rational part of the soul divided?

Its divided into a contemplative part that studies the invariable truths of science and maths. There is a calculative part that studies the practical matters of human life.

How is intellectual virtues different from moral virtues?

Its not a mean between extremes but aims more at extreme knowledge and understanding because it is better.

What are the 2 types of reasoning part of?

The intellectual virtues.

What are the moral virtues?

Kindness Generosity Patience Truthfulness Friendliness Fortitude Liberality

What do intellectual virtues teach us?

Learning to be the best you can be by understanding the world and achieving goals.

Give an example of a state of character that isn't virtuous?

Lustfulness.

How doe the components of the soul link to moral virtues?

Moral virtues must be identified with one of the three.

How does Aristotle view the soul?

Not as a non-material thing that exists independent of the body.

Why are virtues not faculties?

Part of a persons faculties consist of his or her ability to feel anger.We do not praise or blame people for having the ability to feel anger. We praise people for tending to manifest their ability to feel anger when and only when the circumstances call for it. Therefore they cant be identified with our capacities either. They must be states of character.

What are the three sorts of components of the soul?

Passions Faculties States of character

What does Aristotle say virtues cannot be?

Passions.

How is phronesis connected to the moral virtues?

Phronesis is used in order to act virtuously.

What is the most important intellectual virtue according to Aristotle?

Phronesis/Prudence.

What is phronesis?

Practical reason.

What else did Aristotle think was needed to achieve Eudaimonia?

Practical reasoning.

What are the two types of intellectual wisdom?

Practical wisdom- knowing how to live life and achieve good. Philosophical Wisdom- understanding nature and reality.

What were the PRIMARY intellectual virtues?

Prudence Intelligence Technical skill Scientific Knowledge Wisdom

What did Aristotle compare virtues to?

Skills (we learn by doing)

What are the intellectual virtues?

Sophia (theoretical wisdom) Phronesis (practical wisdom) Practical skill Common sense Intuition Resourcefulness Understanding Judgement Cleverness

What did Plato regard as the most important virtue and why?

Sophia because it guides men to the good life.

What goes at the top of Aristotles life of theoretical reasoning hierarchy?

Sophia.

What do moral virtues focus on?

Temperance (moderation)

Describe the virtuous state of character?

The ability to feel and react to circumstances in the appropriate way and to the appropriate degree.

What is the soul divided into?

The rational and irrational part.

What does the Golden Mean suggest about the virtue?

The right quantity. At the right time when needed most. Towards the right people those who merit it. For the right reason.- to advance character. In the right manner- with appropriateness/decency.

What are the two parts of the rational soul?

The scientific part that corresponds to theoretical reasoning. The calculative part that corresponds to practical reasoning.

Where do virtues belong?

The soul

What did Aristotle say was very important?

The well being of the group is much more important than the well being of individuals alone and argued that its through encouraging the practise of the virtues that society will be a harmonious place.

What are the two types of reasoning?

Theoretical reasoning and Practical reasoning.

What does Absolutely relative mean?

Theres NO right way everyone does what they feel like doing..

What does Absolutely Absolute mean?

Theres ONE right way for everyone.

What are moral virtues about?

They are about feeling,choosing and acting well.

How are intellectual virtues different from moral virtues?

They are more about wisdom.

What are the two types of reasoning part of?

They are part of the intellectual virtues.

What vice is moral virtues?

They are vices of behaviour.

What are intellectual virtues about?

They are wisdom that can be learnt through training and education.

What do Techne and Phronesis deal with?

They deal with change, changing things and changing the World.

What do Nous, Episteme, Sophia deal with?

They deal with unchanging/immutable things.

What do intellectual virtues help us know?

They help us KNOW what is just/admirable.

What do intellectual virtues help us achieve?

They help us determine the best means to the ends ar which the moral virtue teaches us to aim.

What do the moral virtues help us do?

They help us to DO what is just/admirab;le

Why are virtues important?

They teach us the right way to live.

How will the intellectual virtues benefit us?

They will show we have common sense and practical skill that we can use positively towards others.

How do we obtain moral virtues?

Through habit

How do we achieve moral virtues?

Through repetition they are acheived naturally and easily.

How do we discover our telos in life according to Aristotle?

Through theoretical reasoning (Wisdom)

Give an example of developing moral virtues?

To be a generous person you have to practice being generous over a long period of time. You cnat just be told to be generous.

What are moral virtues?

Virtues of character

What are intellectual virtues?

Virtues of thought/mind.

What is essential about the moral and intellectual virtues?

We need a balance between the ( it is essential)

Why is friendship so important?

Without friendship justice is meaningless.

Why is prudence and cleverness needed?

Without them a well disposed person cant be truly virtuous as these are needed to help us grasp the right principles of action.

Did Aristotle agree that Sophia was the most important virtue?

Yes

Are intellectual virtues ends in themselves?

Yes because they lead to happiness.

How do you develop moral virtues?

You have to practice them over time.