Aristotle originally introduced virtue Ethical motives to society in ancient Grecian times. Virtue Ethics tells us that we should look at the character of the individual alternatively of the actions or responsibilities a individual performs. Alternatively of concentrating on what is the right thing to make. virtue moralss asks how you can be a better individual. Aristotle claims that taking a virtuous life is easy. and those who do. make so to be happy. Happiness is the ultimate end for everyone in life.
To go a better individual. you must pattern virtuous Acts of the Apostless on a regular basis. After a piece. these Acts of the Apostless will go everyday and so the virtuous Acts of the Apostless will be nil more than mundane life and the individual a virtuous individual. Aristotle said that although virtuousnesss should go a wont we must ne’er bury that we behave in such a manner because it is right. For illustration. if a vocalist patterns singing mundane. they will go better at it and used to making it. This is the same as people who pattern their virtuousnesss and shortly automatically move in the right manner. by practising our accomplishments we improve them. going happier. Virtues should non be an attempt. but merely a portion of everyone’s personality. Aristotle says that virtuousness is something that we get and are non merely born with. people are non inherently good or bad. but become good or bad harmonizing to the wonts they develop.
Aristotle said that a virtuousness was a ‘Golden Mean’ in between to frailties. These ‘Vices’ are two extremes of a graduated table at opposite terminals. one of surplus and one of lack. For illustration the frailties would be shamelessness and shyness. and the virtuousness modestness. Another illustration of this would be rudeness and a sense of temper as the two frailties and the virtuousness as humor. Such virtuousnesss must be cultivated. we must larn when to utilize certain virtuousnesss and to what extent. for illustration we must non of all time utilize temper in surplus to move like a sap. but at the same clip we must besides non go through into discourtesy.
Two philosophers. Anscombe and MacIntyre say that there has been a error in how virtuousnesss have been portrayed. The bulk of people look at the actions a individual does to judge whether they are virtuous or non. The manner in which we behave provides an chance for others to judge our virtuousnesss and frailties. This nevertheless is non right. Peoples should look at the character within and look at what the individual believes is right and how they think they should assist people alternatively of what they do to assist. A celebrated illustration of a virtuous individual is Mother Theresa. She helped 1000000s of enduring people across the universe and for this became good known as a virtuous individual. There are 100s of other virtuous people who would hold liked to hold helped but were unable to make so in such a immense manner who are non considered as virtuous. but these people are merely as virtuous but non recognised for it.
Aristotle tells us that we are most likely to larn virtuous behavior from watching others. If we experience others being sort to us and see the felicity it creates we are more likely to pattern it so if we were merely told to make it. For illustration. if we were told to be brave we may on occasion stand up for little things that we disagree with. but if we see person stating others off for non making the right thing so we are more likely to non let bad behavior towards ourselves. Aristotle said that the best manner of going virtuous was to follow in the footfalls of a virtuous individual. e. g. Mother Theresa and do what they do.
Virtue Ethics is comparative ; Aristotle recognised that virtuousnesss in one state may non be the same as virtuousnesss in another. He believed that there was no absolute platonic good beyond our universe. As virtuousnesss have evolved through wonts of society it is likely that different societies would hold different actions good or bad. However there is no difference between the virtuousnesss of a community and persons within that community. the supreme felicity that Aristotle negotiations about is one for the community. and non merely and single. MacIntyre suggests that doctrine is excessively far removed from ordinary life and said that it is non good plenty that philosophers spend their clip debating the nature of ethical linguistic communication or forming sound theories of morality in a manner that is far removed from existent people and existent life.
All actions are done in order to make an purpose. A consecutive series of actions are besides for an purpose. for illustration acquiring up in to forenoon to travel to work. is to do money. is to feed our households is to travel on nice vacations is to but them nice things etc. all ultimate purposes is to do people happy. everything is low-level to the supreme good. which is felicity. Everyone has different thoughts of what felicity is and different things all make different people happy. and Aristotle called this feeling of all unit of ammunition good being eudemonia.
Therefore. Virtue Ethics concentrates on what a individual is so what a individual does. Its purpose is to accomplish something. which people truly want instead so being based on arguably incoherent thoughts about the after-life. It is a system. which can be easy applied and understood by all. It fits into a assortment of doctrines. and faiths. which both do and don’t include God. However. there are a few jobs with Virtue Ethics. Ones of these which has been pointed out by MacIntyre is that although a virtuousness is the ‘golden mean’ between two frailties it can non be applied to all virtuousnesss.
Virtues such as promise maintaining. trueness. and compassion do non fall between any two frailties and so Aristotle’s theory of this does non truly work. Another job with this theory is that it is of small aid to people faced with a moral quandary. It does non assist them do a determination like other theories such a natural jurisprudence or utilitarianism.
