05 Virtue Ethics and Human Flourishing Free Online FlashCards

What is the central focus of virtue ethics?

Virtue ethics centers moral life on developing good character and sound judgment, asking what kind of person one should become as well as what one should do.

What does Aristotle mean by eudaimonia?

Eudaimonia means flourishing or living well: a whole life of worthwhile activity, not merely a pleasant feeling or moment of happiness.

Besides virtue, what can partly support flourishing?

For Aristotle, flourishing centrally involves exercising virtue, but it also depends partly on external goods and circumstances, including friendship and sufficient material security.

How is virtue understood as a disposition?

A virtue is a developed disposition: a readiness to perceive, feel, choose, and act appropriately.

How do people develop virtues?

People develop virtue through practice: repeated just actions help form justice, and learning to face appropriate dangers helps form courage.

Why is virtue more than habit or routine?

Virtue is more than automatic routine: a virtuous person understands what a situation calls for and chooses well.

What is Aristotle’s mean relative to us?

Many moral virtues are a mean relative to us, between excess and deficiency. Courage, for example, lies between rashness and cowardice.

Why is virtue’s mean not a fixed midpoint?

The mean is not a mathematical midpoint or a rule to always be moderate. What is appropriate depends on the person and circumstances.

Can moderation make every kind of action right?

Aristotle argues that some actions are wrong in themselves; they cannot be made right by doing a moderate amount of them.

What is practical wisdom (phronesis)?

Practical wisdom, or phronesis, is the capacity to deliberate well about how to live and what to do in particular circumstances.

How do virtue and practical wisdom work together?

Virtue orients a person toward good aims; practical wisdom helps identify how to pursue those aims in real circumstances.

How might a worker respond wisely to a colleague’s serious mistake?

A worker might speak privately with the colleague first, but should promptly alert others if safety or substantial harm is at stake.