Skip to document
Welcome to StudocuSign in to access the best study resources
Guest user
0followers
HomeMy LibraryAsk AI
  • You don't have any recent items yet.
My Library
  • You don't have any courses yet.
  • You don't have any books yet.
  • You don't have any Studylists yet.

Ethics Explainer Virtue Ethics

Ethics Explainer Virtue Ethics
Course

Management & Organizational Behavior (MAN 2150)

106 Documents
Students shared 106 documents in this course
Academic year: 2023/2024
Uploaded by:
Anonymous Student
This document has been uploaded by a student, just like you, who decided to remain anonymous.
Sinclair Community College

Comments

Please sign in or register to post comments.

Students also viewed

Related documents

Preview text

Ethics Explainer: Virtue Ethics

Virtue ethics is arguably the oldest ethical theory

in the world, with origins in Ancient Greece.

It defines good actions as ones that display embody virtuous character traits, like courage, loyalty, or wisdom. A virtue itself is a disposition to act, think and feel in certain ways. Bad actions display the opposite and are informed by vices, such as cowardice, treachery, and ignorance.

For Aristotle, ethics was a key element of human flourishing because it taught people how to differentiate between virtues and vices. By encouraging examination, more people could live a life dedicated to developing virtues.

But it’s one thing to know what’s right – it’s another to actually do it. How did Aristotle advise us to live our virtues?

By acting as though we already have them.

Excellence as habit

Aristotle explained that both virtues and vices are acquired by repetition. If we routinely overindulge a sweet tooth, we develop a vice, – gluttony. If we repeatedly allow others to serve themselves dinner before us, we develop a virtue – selflessness.

Virtue ethics suggests treating our character as a lifelong project, one that has the capacity to

truly change who we are. The goal is not to form virtues that mean we act ethically without thinking, but to form virtues that help us see the world clearly and make better judgments as a result.

In a pinch, remember: vices distort, virtues examine.

A quote most of the internet attributes to Aristotle succinctly reads: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”.

Though he didn’t actually say this, it’s a good indication of what virtue ethics stands for. We can thank American philosopher, Will Durant, for the neat summary.

Aim for in between

There are two practical principles that virtue ethics encourages us to use in ethical dilemmas. The first is called The Golden Mean. When we’re trying to work out what the virtuous thing to do in a particular situation is, look to what lies in the middle between two extreme forms of behaviour. The mean will be the virtue, and the extremes at either end, vices.

Here’s an example. Imagine your friend is wearing a horrendous outfit and asks you how they look. What are the extreme responses you could take? You could a) burst out laughing or b) tell them they look wonderful when they don’t.

These two extremes are vices – the first response is malicious, the second is dishonest. The virtuous response is between these two. In this case, that would be gently but honestly telling your friend you think they’d look nicer in another outfit.

Imagination

Was this document helpful?

Ethics Explainer Virtue Ethics

Course: Management & Organizational Behavior (MAN 2150)

106 Documents
Students shared 106 documents in this course

University: Sinclair Community College

Was this document helpful?
Ethics Explainer: Virtue Ethics
Virtue ethics is arguably the oldest ethical theory
in the world, with origins in Ancient Greece.
It defines good actions as ones that display embody virtuous character traits, like courage,
loyalty, or wisdom. A virtue itself is a disposition to act, think and feel in certain ways. Bad
actions display the opposite and are informed by vices, such as cowardice, treachery, and
ignorance.
For Aristotle, ethics was a key element of human flourishing because it taught people how to
differentiate between virtues and vices. By encouraging examination, more people could live a
life dedicated to developing virtues.
But it’s one thing to know what’s right – it’s another to actually do it. How did Aristotle advise us
to live our virtues?
By acting as though we already have them.
Excellence as habit
Aristotle explained that both virtues and vices are acquired by repetition. If we routinely
overindulge a sweet tooth, we develop a vice, – gluttony. If we repeatedly allow others to serve
themselves dinner before us, we develop a virtue – selflessness.
Virtue ethics suggests treating our character as a lifelong project, one that has the capacity to

Students also viewed

Related documents