Chapter 4: FRAMEWORKS AND PRINCIPLES BEHIND from the whims of the gods'

OUR MORAL DISPOSITIONS

determination of the rightness of our
Module 9: Virtue Ethics and Applied actions and mores.
Ethics • Central to Plato's Philosophy is his
Theory of Forms. The objectively
VIRTUE ETHIICS existing immaterial entities that are the
• Virtue Ethics as a moral system, places proper object of knowledge. Everything
emphasis on developing good habits of in the material world is what it is by
character, like kindness and generosity, virtue of its resemblance to, or
and avoiding bad character traits, or participation in, this universal form or
vices, such as greed or hatred. Idea.
• Virtue-based theories give importance • For Plato, those who comprehend the
to moral education which molds Good will always do good actions. Bad
individuals to habitually act in a virtuous actions are performed out of not
manner. Focusing on the character of the knowing the Good. To know the Good,
agent, virtue ethics describes right nonetheless, requires an austere and
actions as those chosen and performed intellectually meticulous way of life.
by a suitably virtuous person.
Aristotle's Ethics
Definition of Virtue Ethics 1. Self Realizationism
• Virtue ethics is a broad term for theories o Three general descriptions, which are
that emphasize the role of character and interrelated, can be used to depict
virtue in moral philosophy rather than aristotle's ethics.
either doing one's duty or acting in 2. Eudaimonistic
order to bring about good 3. Aretaic
consequences. o Act Oriented Ethics
• A virtue ethicist is likely to give you this o Virtue Ethics
kind of moral advice: "Act as a virtuous A 'Telos' is an end or purpose. Aristotle
person would act in your situation." believes that the essence or essential
nature of beings, including humans, lay not
Socrates and Plato's Moral Philosophy at their cause (or beginning) but at their
• Since Plato wrote down and essentially end ('telos')
adhered to Socrates' philosophy, it is
practical for us to treat their ethical Happiness And Virtues
theories jointly here. • Aristotle believes that the ultimate
• In the dialogue "Gorgias" written by human goal is self-realization. This
Plato, Socrates indicates that pleasure entails achieving one's natural purpose
and pain fail to provide an objective by functioning or living consistently with
standard for determining moral from human nature. Accomplishing it,
immoral since they do not exist apart produces happiness; whereas inability
from one another, while good and evil to realize it leads to sadness, frustration,
do. and ultimately to poor life. It therefore
• In Euthypro, Socrates asks Euthypro behooves us to act in accordance with
whether something is good because the our nature so as to be content and
gods love it, or whether the gods love it complete.
because it is good. Socrates' point is that • Aristotle identifies three natures of man:
what is good has a certain independence the vegetable or physical, animal or
 emotional, and rational or mental. As ➢ Stinginess
previously explained, the thing that ➢ extreme frugality
distinguishes humans from all other Golden Mean
creatures is the rational nature or the ➢ Courage
ability to reason. Rational development ➢ Generosity
is thus deemed the most important, as it ➢ Temperance
is uniquely human. Accordingly, living Excess
in accordance with reason is viewed as ➢ Tactless Rashness
vital in self realization or developing ➢ Prodigality
one's potential. ➢ Gluttony
• Ethics, for Aristotle, is the inquiry into
the human good. This is to say that the Phronesis And Practice
purpose of studying ethics is to make • Phronesis or Practical wisdom is a grasp
ourselves good, though Aristotle of appropriate way to respond, to feel
assumes that we already want to become and act in a particular situation.
good. This human good is 'eudaimonia'
An Evaluation Of The Greek Philosophers'
or happiness.
Ethical Theories
• Aristotle observed that wise persons
• We can say that Socrates and Plato,
seek an end that is self-sufficient, final,
based on their ethical theory, advocate a
and attainable over one's life. This end is
positive view of man. Their Philosophy
happiness which all human beings want.
implies that human beings who behave
Aristotle also considers happiness as the
immorally do so out of ignorance of the
summum bonum - the greatest good of
Good. And that no person is willingly
all human life. He adds that it is the only
bad.
intrinsic good, that is, the good that is
• Concerning this, we can however
pursued for it's own sake. While all other
comment that punishing bad deeds has
things, such as pleasure, wealth, and
no place in their theory, since bad
honor are merely means to an end,
actions are not blameworthy in the strict
happiness is man's ultimate goal as it is
sense, Perseverance is encouraged in
an end in itself.
their view as it is held that knowing the
Virtue as Habit Good-the key not to engage in bad
• Aristotle's idea of happiness should also actions- demands an abstinent and
be understood in the sense of human intellectually painstaking way of life.
flourishing. This flourishing is attained • Being moral, virtuous and just is equated
by the habitual practice of moral and with being knowledgeable of the Good,
intellectual excellences or 'virtues'. as it is claimed that those who know the
• Aristotle said your Character is right will act rightly, In addition,
developed through HABITUATION. morality is essentially linked to
• Moral virtue is an expression of happiness.
character, formed by habits reflecting "Why I should be moral?"
repeated choices. • The just person is said to be the truly
happy one far happier than the wicked,
Moral virtue is the golden mean between the whatever material advantages the unjust
two less desirables extreme. person enjoys, and no matter difficulties
Deficiency or poor status the moral person suffers.
➢ Cowardice This ethnical theory inspires people to
 be moral as it teaches that morality is a 3 Aspects
recipe to real happiness. 1. Species - What kind of an action it is.
• Against Plato's Form, the usual comment There are 3 types. Good, Bad and
is that there could be no such thing, and Indifferent Neutral.
that even if there were, It would be of no 2. Accidents - Simply refers to the
help in ethical inquiry into the good for circumstances surrounding the action.
human beings. 3. End – Stands for the agents intention.
• Aristotle considers virtue not as innate
or something taught by a teacher to a ✓ Aquinas ethical theory states that for an
student, but that which is acquired by action to be moral, the kinds it must
practice and lost by disue. belong to must not be bad, the
circumstances must be appropriate, and
• Aristotle's ethics therefore can be
the intention must be virtuous.
deemed better for it distinguishes
"doing right" from "knowing right". Happiness, Moral Virtues And Theological
• Aristotle could also better explain Virtues
accountability and responsibility. He ✓ A habit is a "hard to eradicate" quality
believes that when we do something we 2 types of Habits
know to be wrong, we are held 1. Acquired – The autonomous will of the
responsible for our actions. Mistakes are person plays a huge role in acquired habits.
anticipated in Aristotle's view and 2. Infused – Directly instilled by God in our
acknowledged as learning faculties.
opportunities. 2 Types of Infused Virtues
• Aristotle's doctrine of practical wisdom 1. Moral – Activities that are less virtuous
in determining what is good for and inferior to the final end.
someone in a particular instance opens To this kind belongs Prudence,
the door to bias, prejudice, and Fortitude, Temperance and Justice
subjectivism 1. Theological – Are concerned directly
• Being virtuous for Aristotle denotes with God.
doing what is right, to the right person, The virtues of Faith, Hope and Love serve to
at the right moment, in the appropriate attune us to our final end.
amount, in the correct manner, for the
right reason. AN ANALYSIS OF THOMISTIC ETHICS
• Thomas Aquinas is a REALIST (Realism)
Thomas Aquinas' Ethics • Virtue Ethicist
5 Aquinas' Laws • Definitely against contemporary moral
✓ Eternal Law - Rational plan of God by philosophies
which all creation is ordered
• Incompatible with Nihilism
✓ Human Law – The aspect of the Eternal
• Irreconcilable with relativism and
law which is accessible to human reason
conventionalism
✓ Natural Law – Refers to positive laws,
• Against with Absolute Skepticism
more exact and forceful provisions.
• He is more of Deontologist or Kantian
✓ Divine Law – Serves to complement the
than Utilitarianism
other types of law.
• "Do good, avoid evil, pursue
✓ Natural inclinations – (1) To survive (2)
knowledge, and live at peace with our
To reproduce and educate offspring (3)
neighbors"
To love
• Aquinas is looking for middle ground.
• Trying to compromise. ethical controversies such as those about
the social responsibility of business,
APPLIED ETHICS philosophically employee rights, harassment, labor
examines specific, controversial moral unions, misleading advertising, job
issues. Using philosophical methods, this discrimination, and whistle blowing.
area of concern in Ethics attempts to
determine the ethically correct course of SEXUAL ETHICS
action in specific realms of human action. ➢ It studies moral issues about sexuality
• For a subject to be considered as an and human sexual behavior. It examines
applied ethical issue, not only must it be topics like homosexuality, lesbianism,
a matter of moral judgment, but also it polygamy, pre-marital sex, marital
has to be controversial. That is, there fidelity, extra-marital sex, non-marital
must be considerable groups of people procreation, loveless sexual relations,
both for and against the issue. safe sex, and contraceptive use.
• Applied ethical issues nowadays are
SOCIAL ETHICS
classified into various subfields.
➢ It deals with what is right for a society to
BIOETHICS do and how it should act as a whole. Its
➢ This concerns ethical issues pertaining focus is on what may be deemed as
to life, biomedical, researches, proper behavior for people as a whole.
medicines, health care, and medical Some of the issues under this are those
profession. As such, it deals with about racial discrimination, death
controversies like those about surrogate penalty, nuclear weapon production,
mothering, genetic manipulation of gun control, drug use for fun, and
fetuses, stem cell research, using human welfare rights.
embryos in research, in-vitro
fertilization, abortion, euthanasia,
suicide, patient rights, confidentiality of
patient's records, physician's
responsibilities and mandatory medical
screening.

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
➢ It deals with moral issues concerning
nature, ecosystem and its nonhuman
contents. This includes issues such as
animal rights, animal experimentation,
endangered species preservation,
pollution control, and sustainable
development.

BUSINESS ETHICS
➢ It examines moral principles concerning
business environment which involves
issues about corporate practices,
policies, business behaviors, and the
conducts and relationships of individuals
in the organizations. It investigates