Ethics Chapter 13virtue ethics:a person’s character plays a crucial role in understanding the good lifeVirtue:a trained disposition that produces morally good results (honesty).Vice:a trained disposition that produces morally bad results (selfishness).13.1 “Virtue” (Aristotle, W. D. Ross translation)Summary: Aristotle argues that happiness, which can only be attained through living a virtuous life, isthe ultimate human good. He also claims that virtue is the mean of two extremes, such as couragebeing the mean between fear and confidence.The good= that at which all things aimWhat is the good of humankind? HappinessHappiness= an activity of the soul in accordance with perfect virtueVirtue: a good character trait that comes about as a result of actionThe Good For Man (book I)living well is identified with happiness, happiness seems to be ultimate good.There are three types of life: pleasure, political, and contemplativepeople of superior refinement and of active disposition identify happiness with honour.What good are we seeking? In medicine health, in strategy victory, etc.•Therefore, if there is an end for all that we do, this will be the good achievable by action,and if there are more than one, these will be the goods achievable by action.•The chief good is evidently something final•Something is final (without qualification) if it is always desirable in itself and never for thesake of something else. This is a characteristic of HAPPINESS!Human good turns out to be activity of should exhibiting excellence, and if there are more thanone excellence, in accordance with the best and most complete.Happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with perfect virtue.Moral Virtue (book II)intellectual virtue requires experience and time and is based on teaching, and moral virtuecomes from of result of habit.Neither by nature, nor contrary to nature do the virtues arise in us: rather we are adapted bynature to receive them, and are made perfect by habit.State of character arises out of activitiesby doing the acts that we do in our transactions with men we become just or unjust (becomejust by doing just acts)temperance and courage are destroyed by excess and defect, and preserved by the mean (dothe right amount of something)acts are just when they are acts a just man would dovirtue must be one of three things found in soul:1.passions (appetite, anger fear, joy, hatred, longing)2.faculties (becoming angry, feeling joy)3.states of character (violently or too weak of feelings, find mean)- THIS IS VIRTUE•the virtue of man will be the state of character that makes a man good and whichmakes him do his own work well.
Virtue must aim at the intermediatesome things are bad on their own though, not based on excess or deficiency of it (Adultery)Examples of means:1.courage is the mean of confidence and fear2.liberality is the mean of giving and taking money3.proper pride Is the mean of honour and dishonour4.truthfulness is the mean of truth and exaggeration5.righeous indignation is the mean between envy and spiteof the extremes one is more erroneous, one less so: therefore, since to hit the mean is hard inthe extreme, we must take the least of the evils.
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