Virtue Ethics
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_csiln8
1. What does it it is focused not on what we ought to do, but what sort of
mean to say that person we should be - good actions are defined by those
virtue ethics is done by good people.
agent-centred?
2. What does it It focuses on ends or goals of actions.
mean to say that
virtue ethics is
teleological?
3. How does Aris- everything we do is aimed at some good, each good is
totle explain why done for the sake of a higher good, this cannot go on
there is an ulti- forever (otherwise our aim would be pointless), so there
mate good for hu- must be an ultimate good, which everything we do is
man beings. aimed towards.
4. what does Aristo- Eudaimonia (human flourishing) - the good life for a human
tle say is the ul- being, for the sake of which everything else is done. It is not
timate good/final just about following moral laws, or being happy, or being
end (telos)? successful - it is about all of these things together. Hence,
it is the property of someone's life taken as a whole.
5. What things does Pleasure (this would make us just animals), wealth (this is
Aristotle reject just a means to an end), honour (this depends on other
eudaimonia as people's recognition), goodness (this is compatible with a
being? life of suffering) and contemplation.
6. What criteria An end, never a means to an end. The 'most final' of
does Aristotle ar- final ends, for the sake of which everything else is done.
gue that eu- Self-sufficient, so nothing could be added to make it even
daimonia meets better. The most desirable of all things.
which makes it
the final end?
7. What is the rela- Whilst the good for humans is not pleasure in itself, the
tionship between good life does involve pleasure - it is a good, but just
eudaimonia and not 'the good'. We should avoid excessive indulgence in
pleasure? physical pleasures, but enjoying physical pleasures is still
a virtue - and its opposite (shunning all physical pleasures)
1/9
, Virtue Ethics
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_csiln8
is a vice. Pleasure is important in developing virtues of
character, and so enabling us to reach eudaimonia. Initial-
ly, we may not enjoy being generous. But as we start to act
as a virtuous person, we start to get pleasure from being
generous - so pleasure completes the activity.
8. What is the 'func- The 'function' argument is used to show that eudaimonia
tion' argument? is only achieved through exercising our reason. Two terms
are used to explain this: ergon and arete.
9. What is ergon? the function or characteristic activity of a thing
10. What is arete? a property or virtue that enables a thing to achieve its
ergon.
11. Example of ergon A knife's ergon is to cut things. A good knife has the arete
and arete of sharpness because this enables it to cut things well.
12. What is the rela- Virtues (an arete of humans) are character traits that allow
tionship between us to fulfil our ergon. Our ergon as humans is to use reason
virtues and func- to live a rational life - reason is what makes us unique from
tion? everything else in the world. Our decisions and actions
stem from reason, we always choose to perform an action
be it good or bad. Choosing actions according to good
reason enables us to achieve eudaimonia - a life governed
by reason.
13. What quote from "The function of man is an activity of the soul which follows
Aristotle ex- or implies a rational principle."
plains his belief
that our function
as human beings
is to reason?
14. What does Aris- A disposition (a tendency to behave habitually and reli-
totle say a virtue ably, in a particular way) or character trait possessed by
is? What is a vice good people which helps them to reach eudaimonia. VS a
flawed character trait possessed by bad people.
15.
2/9
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1. What does it it is focused not on what we ought to do, but what sort of
mean to say that person we should be - good actions are defined by those
virtue ethics is done by good people.
agent-centred?
2. What does it It focuses on ends or goals of actions.
mean to say that
virtue ethics is
teleological?
3. How does Aris- everything we do is aimed at some good, each good is
totle explain why done for the sake of a higher good, this cannot go on
there is an ulti- forever (otherwise our aim would be pointless), so there
mate good for hu- must be an ultimate good, which everything we do is
man beings. aimed towards.
4. what does Aristo- Eudaimonia (human flourishing) - the good life for a human
tle say is the ul- being, for the sake of which everything else is done. It is not
timate good/final just about following moral laws, or being happy, or being
end (telos)? successful - it is about all of these things together. Hence,
it is the property of someone's life taken as a whole.
5. What things does Pleasure (this would make us just animals), wealth (this is
Aristotle reject just a means to an end), honour (this depends on other
eudaimonia as people's recognition), goodness (this is compatible with a
being? life of suffering) and contemplation.
6. What criteria An end, never a means to an end. The 'most final' of
does Aristotle ar- final ends, for the sake of which everything else is done.
gue that eu- Self-sufficient, so nothing could be added to make it even
daimonia meets better. The most desirable of all things.
which makes it
the final end?
7. What is the rela- Whilst the good for humans is not pleasure in itself, the
tionship between good life does involve pleasure - it is a good, but just
eudaimonia and not 'the good'. We should avoid excessive indulgence in
pleasure? physical pleasures, but enjoying physical pleasures is still
a virtue - and its opposite (shunning all physical pleasures)
1/9
, Virtue Ethics
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_csiln8
is a vice. Pleasure is important in developing virtues of
character, and so enabling us to reach eudaimonia. Initial-
ly, we may not enjoy being generous. But as we start to act
as a virtuous person, we start to get pleasure from being
generous - so pleasure completes the activity.
8. What is the 'func- The 'function' argument is used to show that eudaimonia
tion' argument? is only achieved through exercising our reason. Two terms
are used to explain this: ergon and arete.
9. What is ergon? the function or characteristic activity of a thing
10. What is arete? a property or virtue that enables a thing to achieve its
ergon.
11. Example of ergon A knife's ergon is to cut things. A good knife has the arete
and arete of sharpness because this enables it to cut things well.
12. What is the rela- Virtues (an arete of humans) are character traits that allow
tionship between us to fulfil our ergon. Our ergon as humans is to use reason
virtues and func- to live a rational life - reason is what makes us unique from
tion? everything else in the world. Our decisions and actions
stem from reason, we always choose to perform an action
be it good or bad. Choosing actions according to good
reason enables us to achieve eudaimonia - a life governed
by reason.
13. What quote from "The function of man is an activity of the soul which follows
Aristotle ex- or implies a rational principle."
plains his belief
that our function
as human beings
is to reason?
14. What does Aris- A disposition (a tendency to behave habitually and reli-
totle say a virtue ably, in a particular way) or character trait possessed by
is? What is a vice good people which helps them to reach eudaimonia. VS a
flawed character trait possessed by bad people.
15.
2/9
