Virtue Ethics is of little use when applied to environmental issues

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Liam Taylor

Virtue Ethics is of little use when applied to environmental issues

The issues that are raised when discussing the protection of the environment, usually focuses on human activity, and the destruction of habitats such as the rainforest or marine environments. Therefore, the cause for concern is how humans ought to act towards the environment in which they live in. Virtue Ethics as opposed to normative ethics is an agent-centred theory which focuses on developing and cultivating ones virtues in order to reach happiness. There seems to be no direct link to issues concerning the environment; however if you ask yourself whether a virtuous person would damage the environment, there does appear to be a strong argument how virtue ethics is of use when applied to environmental issues.

Aristotle argued the theory of virtues, using a teleological twist. He explains how we all aspire to become virtuous people in which a eudaimonia is the supreme good. This approach moves away from the ideas of normative theories such utilitarianism or natural law where responsibility to the environment is based upon duties or upon consequences. It instead suggests that in order to make ourselves more virtuous and to achieve the ideal of eudaimonia, we must objectively develop a virtuous understanding of our place in the environment. This is just one way in which virtue ethics is effective when applied to environmental issues. As eudaimonia is the prime objective virtue ethics encourages human flourishing and human development. It does not focus on what is important for humanity to survive as utilitarianism explains, but instead on what would make an environmentally good person who can survive. This would involve in the modern world, to avoid littering, recycle waste, and protect the rainforests. These actions all cultivate virtues and therefore will result to a virtuous person.  

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Aristotle taught about two different vices that accompany every virtue. These are ‘the vice of deficiency,’ which is the distinct lack of virtues and ‘the vice of excess’ which is entirely too much of the virtue. Aristotle believed that virtues provide a balance between the two vices which he refers to as the ‘Golden Mean.’ In the case of the environment Aristotle’s vices can be applied. For example a complete neclect of the environment around you is a vice of deficiency; too much care for the environment that blinds you from reaching eudaimonia can be a vice of excess. Furthermore, ...

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