Raw 6 Aristotle Virtue By Robert Crosswhite (1)
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Part I. Chapter Seven of Textbook Reading.
1) At the end of Chapter 7 on pages 128-129 from the review exercises, everyone
must answer questions 1 and 5.
Question 1: “What does foot mean by no one can get on well without virtues?”
In her book, "How Should We Live?" philosopher and ethicist, Christine Korsgaard, discusses
the importance of virtues in leading a good life. Foot, in her essay "Virtues and Vices," argues
that virtues are essential for human flourishing and that no one can get on well without them. By
this, she means that virtues are necessary for a fulfilling life and that without them, one's life
lacks the moral excellence and ethical grounding that allows us to lead a good life. Foot believes
that virtues help us to live a life of purpose and meaning and enable us to make good moral
decisions.
Question 5: “What difference does she cite between virtues and skill or arts?”
Foot distinguishes virtues from skills or arts by highlighting that virtues are not mere abilities or
techniques that can be learned and applied like a tool, but rather are dispositions of character that
shape one's actions and attitudes. Skills or arts, on the other hand, are specific techniques or
abilities that can be learned and applied to specific situations. Virtues are more fundamental and
pervasive than skills or arts since they shape our moral character and guide our actions in all
areas of our lives.
2) Additionally, pick one more question from the list of 1 – 10 to answer. Your
answers can be brief, one paragraph minimum, and use the text to support your answers.
Question 9: “How does this relate to Kants contention that some acts are in
accordance with virtue yet have no positive moral worth?”
Kant argues that some actions are in accordance with virtue yet have no positive moral worth due
to not being done from a sense of duty. According to Kant, moral worth comes from acting out of
a sense of duty, rather than from self-interest. An example of this would be, if someone donates
money to a charity out of a sense of duty, then their action has moral worth. However, if
someone donates money to a charity because it makes them feel good or because they want to
impress others, then their action does not have moral worth, even though it may be in accordance
with the virtue of charity. Foot's view on virtues is like Kant's in that she believes that virtues are
dispositions of character that guide our actions. However, Foot's view differs from Kant's in that
she does not believe that moral worth is solely derived from acting out of a sense of duty.
Instead, she argues that virtuous actions are motivated by the right reasons and that virtues are
part of what makes an action good.
Part II. Chapter Eighteen, Violence, Terrorism, and War.
1) Write a short essay, 3 paragraphs (five sentence paragraphs), and answer these
questions: Is war just or unjust? Start your essay by answering this question, and include
the answer to this question: How would virtue ethics view war? Then, Support your answer
with evidence from the readings. Your paper should have a clear thesis statement of the
main idea(s) and use some type of in-text citations from any of the provided readings, links,
or videos. If you use outside sources, please provide full citation. Chapter 18 references act
consequentialism. Rather than using utilitarianism, reference virtue ethics only to write
your essay: You can also write your short essay as a compare and contrast paper between
virtue ethics and utilitarianism; but you must include virtue ethics in your short essay to
answer the questions.
War has been a subject of debate among philosophers, politicians, and ordinary people
alike for centuries. While some believe that war is justifiable under certain circumstances, others
argue that it is never justified. From a virtue ethics perspective, war is generally considered
unjust as it goes against the values of virtues such as compassion, justice, and nonviolence.
In virtue “ethics,” the emphasis is on cultivating virtues or good character traits, such as
courage, honesty, and compassion, rather than simply following rules or maximizing utility.
Virtue ethics views war as a failure of these virtues because it involves the intentional harm or
killing of human beings, which goes against the virtues of compassion and nonviolence. For
example, the philosopher Aristotle argues that war should only be fought as a last resort, and
only for the sake of peace and justice.
Furthermore, in his book "The Virtues of War," historian Steven Pressfield argues that
war is a necessary evil that can only be justified when fought for noble reasons, such as
defending one's country or protecting innocent civilians from harm. However, even in such
cases, war should be conducted with the utmost restraint and respect for human life, which are
essential virtues.
In conclusion, virtue ethics views war as generally unjust because it involves harming or
killing other human beings, which goes against the values of compassion and nonviolence. While
some may argue that war can be justified in certain circumstances, such as defending one's
country, it should be fought with restraint and respect for human life, which are essential virtues.
Ultimately, the decision to go to war should be made only after careful consideration of the
virtues and values at stake.
Part III. Text: Aristotle,
Nicomachean Ethics
, Book 2, Chapters 1-7.
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Directions: Towards the end of Book 2, Chapter 7, Aristotle defines virtue (see
below). As you read the text, write down and cite quotes from the text that explain each
aspect of this definition and provide your own explanation of what the quote means.
“Virtue, then, is a (1) state of character (2) concerned with choice, (3) lying in a
mean, i.e. (4) the mean relative to us, (5) this being determined by a rational principle, and
by that principle (6) by which the man of practical wisdom would determine it” (Aristotle,
Nicomachean Ethics
, 2.6).
1.
"Virtue, then, is a disposition that decides, consisting, in a mean, the mean relative to us,
which is defined by reference to reason." (Book 2, Chapter 6) This quote means that virtue is a habit
or tendency towards acting in a certain way that involves choosing the mean between two extremes.
This mean is relative to the individual, and is determined by reason.
2.
"Now every virtue causes both pleasure and pain: it causes pain in the training, pleasure
in the acquisition and practice." (Book 2, Chapter 3) This quote means that developing virtues
requires effort and discipline, which can be painful or difficult, but that once virtues are acquired and
practiced, they bring about a sense of joy and satisfaction.
3.
"The virtues we get by first exercising them... so too we become just by doing just acts,
temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts." (Book 2, Chapter 1) This quote
means that virtues are developed through practice and habituation. Just as someone becomes a
builder by building or a musician by playing an instrument, one becomes virtuous by doing virtuous
acts.
4.
"Virtue, then, is a mean state insofar as it aims at what is intermediate." (Book 2,
Chapter 6) This quote means that virtues involve finding the mean between two extremes, and that
this meaning is relative to the individual. Virtue involves aiming for an intermediate state that is
neither excess nor deficiency.
5.
"The mean is determined by a rational principle, as the man of practical wisdom would
determine it." (Book 2, Chapter 6) This quote means that between two extremes is determined by
reason, and that a wise person would be able to identify what this meaning is based on practical
experience and knowledge.
6.
“We must take as a sign of states of character the pleasure or pain that ensues on acts;
for the man who abstains from bodily pleasures and delights in this very fact is temperate, while the
man who is annoyed by it is self-indulgent.” (Book 2, Chapter 3) This quote means that our emotions
and feelings can be indicators of our virtues or vices. A temperate person will find pleasure in
abstaining from bodily pleasures, while a self-indulgent person will be annoyed by this.