Eudaimonia involves a combination of all three
TO ACHIEVE EUDAIMONIA
To achieve Eudaimonia one must develop and exercise virtuous qualities that are most productive for living in society. Extremes of behaviour – a vice of deficiency or a vice of excess are unhelpful to society. A virtue is found in the golden mean.
For Aristotle, there are 12 moral virtues each of which fall between the vices of deficiency and excess:
VICE OF DIFFICIENCY GOLDEN MEAN VICE OF EXCESS
Cowardness Courage Rashness
TWO TYPES OF VIRTUE:
Intellectual Virtue: Developed by training/education
Moral Virtue: Acquired by habit
ACQUIRING MORAL VIRTUES
We are not born with moral virtues; we become develop virtues from habits. Rosalind Hursthouse argued that we can observe that there are some young mathematical geniuses; however it is rare to hear of a young moral genius. Virtuous people are more common amongst adults because virtues are to be acquired through habit and aspiring to other virtuous people.
Aquinas: ‘What you do is what you are’
Virtue is acquired by aspiring to virtuous people such as Jesus, Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela.
A GOOD ACTION
A good action is as much about the desire as the action, for example to be a good action, giving to the poor would have to be done for the right motive.
ELIZABETH ANSCOMBE
The publication of Anscombe’s book is said to have contributed to the revival of aretaic. She said the concept of moral laws is flawed unless people believe in a God, a judge who will punish bad behaviour. All absolutist approaches that don’t accept the existence of God are incoherent. She said the way forward was ‘human flourishing,’ Eudaimonia which doesn’t depend on the concept of a God.
PHILIPPA FOOT
The publication of P. Foot’s book also helped the revival of aretaic thinking. Anscombe discussed the need for new direction; Philippa Foot argued that although virtue ethics doesn’t guarantee happiness, it can often be a part of achieving it.
MACINTYRE
Criticised meta-ethics by saying ‘we have been left in a moral vacuum.’ MacIntyre reasoned that instead of debating right and wrong, morality should be approached historically.
He also commented on:
Intuitionism – ‘The introduction of the word intuitionism indicates that something has gone wrong with the argument.’
Ethical Naturalism – Morality cannot be based on preferences
ADVANTAGES
• Virtue ethics can fit a variety of different beliefs, from a humanist view for example or a Christian belief.
• It is pragmatic, can be readily understood and simple applied
• It may be idealistic but it is aiming to achieve something people genuinely want – Eudaimonia.
CRITICISMS
• There is not a golden mean for every virtue e.g. compassion
• Some would argue it has a very self-centred approach to morality because it puts oneself before anyone else
• When faced with a realistic situation virtue ethics doesn’t really help you. For example if a woman discovers during the course of her pregnancy that the baby will be born if severe disabilities – how is she to know what a virtuous person would do when there are conflicting virtues?
Rosalind Hursthouse responded to this by arguing that it is difficult in all theories to decide what to do when faced with a real situation. Virtue Ethics requires wisdom (an acquired quality). Virtue theory is not about weighing up virtues - you are not showing a virtuous response by looking at the biological components of the situation or adding up who has the most rights – you have to respond to a situation with all of yourself.
