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Ethical Thought

Virtue theory: Aristotle and the Beatitudes

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  • Component 3

Overview

Objection that virtue theory gives no practical guidance and cultural relativism objection to virtue theory.

What you need to know

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Key term

What question does virtue theory ask instead, how does a rule-based ethic differ, and what is eudaimonia?

Key term

What does virtue theory take as the subject of ethics?

Key term

How does virtue theory differ from a rule-based ethic?

Questions from this subtopic

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  1. 1

    What does virtue theory take as the subject of ethics?

    Model answer

    Virtue theory asks what kind of person one should be rather than which acts are right. Character is the primary object of moral judgement.

  2. 2

    How does virtue theory differ from a rule-based ethic?

    Model answer

    A rule-based ethic evaluates the act against a principle. Virtue theory evaluates the settled dispositions from which the act came.

  3. 3

    What did Aristotle mean by eudaimonia?

    Model answer

    Eudaimonia is human flourishing, the fulfilled life that is the final end of all action. Every other good is pursued for the sake of it.

  4. 4

    Explain Aristotle's doctrine of the mean.

    Model answer

    A moral virtue lies between a deficiency and an excess of a feeling or action. Courage sits between cowardice and rashness.

  5. 5

    Give two further examples of Aristotle's mean.

    Model answer

    Generosity lies between meanness and prodigality. Proper pride lies between humility and vanity.

  6. 6

    Is the mean an arithmetical average?

    Model answer

    The mean is relative to the person and the situation, not a fixed midpoint. The right amount of anger differs with who is angry and why.

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