Civic Virtue

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1. Civic Virtue
Civic virtue is morality or a standard of righteous behavior in relationship to a citizen's involvement
in society. An individual may exhibit civic virtue by voting.
For people that have civic virtue they contribute and help out our country for the greater good. They
also have to be selfless and caring to the citizens of their country. It is for them to do something that
benefits the country from ending a war to helping out a good cause or organization.
This selfless organization shows its civic virtue by giving toys to little kids in need at the hospital.
These kids are in the hospital to have brain injuries from various accidents. Now since the kids are
in the hospital they can not celebrate Christmas normally. By donating toys we can
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3. Gouging And Virtue
There is always a debate when it comes to price gouging and virtue because it can cause many
problems/dilemma in our society. Price gouging occurs when goods and services are being charged
more than the normal amount, which happens in a natural disaster. An example that was mentioned
in the book was that in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley, generators that go for $250 were now
raised to $2000 (Sandel, 2009, p. 3). The concept of virtue is what society wants to encourage in a
community such as good traits or qualities of character which are accepted. (Sandel, 2009, p. 7).
According to Sandel, virtue is a principle which is used as a decision making to determine what's
right and wrong in a society. The concept of virtue applies to price gouging
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5. Decline Of Virtue Ethics
"Achieving a Decent Society"
See
The Decline of Virtue Ethics in the Modern Society and Its Different Forms
The Modern Society
The modern society may be moving forward in terms of scientific and technological advancements
yet as years go by, the development of ethics and morality tends to move backward. Due to our
utmost fascination to material advancements, we tend to forget what truly matters. According to
Smith (2014), the modern society rewards material progress while neglecting moral progress. As
such, people of the modern age disregard moral and intellectual virtues as if they are a nuisance to
their everyday lives. Furthermore, the society prioritizes other affiliations and pursues their own
endeavors without considering the possible consequences that might arise due to their unethical or
immoral practices. In addition, the modern society is heavily influenced by copious ... Show more
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For instance, we allocate bigger budgets for science research and we give prestigious rewards to
outstanding achievers in science. But society allocates far smaller amounts to advance moral
interests or to reward moral achievers (Smith, 2014). Moreover, the decline of virtue ethics due to
the flawed educational system is explicitly depicted through the immoral practices of the modern
youth that they perceive as something worth bragging about or something that they consider as an
achievement. The modern society also disregards ethics for the reason that they think it is something
that is "old" or irrelevant for the modern setting. In lieu with the aforementioned statements, the
educational system merely gives importance to the development of the sciences without taking to
account the importance of ethical and intellectual virtues in the overall development of a
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7. Aristotle Virtue Analysis
One of the most important things that the famous philosopher, Aristotle, argued about was the topic
of virtue. This was also a very important issue that his teacher, Plato, argued about on numerous
occasions. But, the two of these men had very different ideas on what virtue was and how it was
obtained, and Aristotle had a completely different moral philosophy. The greek word "virtue" is
simply defined as something that does what it is intended to do, and does this well; for example, a
car's virtues would be something along the lines of fast movement and reliability. Nowhere is there a
mention of the word "virtue" having any sort of moral connotation to it, but Aristotle and Plato
definitely do not agree with that statement. For these men, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
For instance, one virtue that someone can have is courage; but if someone has excess courage they
may be considered careless and if they have a deficiency of courage they may be considered a
coward. So in this case, the two vices of the courage virtue are carelessness and cowardice. As an
example, let's say that as you are walking to school one day and you witness a bully trying to steal
another students lunch money. The common misconception with this scenario is that the majority of
people would say that the courageous thing to do would be to run up to the bully and stop them; but
in reality, the courageous thing really just depends on the situation. If, in this example, you were a
senior varsity football player and the bully was a scrawny freshman, that would indeed be the
courageous thing to do. But, if the roles were reversed and you were the scrawny freshman trying to
stand up to the senior varsity player, this would not be courageous of you; this is an example of you
having excess courage and simply being careless and rash. Finally, if you choose to walk away and
pretend like you didn't see anything at all instead of finding someone more capable of helping the
other student, you would be exhibiting a deficiency of courage and simply be a coward. Another
example of this golden ratio relationship would be in the virtue of modesty, your two vices would be
shyness
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9. Virtue Ethics And Aristotle's Virtue Ethics
Virtue ethics revolves around an individual's character traits, which often times crosses over to one's
career, or in this case engineering. According to Aristotle, if a person has obtained certain virtues, it
will be reflected in their behavior. Engineers have a responsibility to protect the public from harm,
as well as promote the public's wellbeing. Therefore, an engineer must contain several vital
character traits, or virtues, in order to perform their job accordingly. In this paper, virtue ethics will
be further evaluated as well as applied to the engineering discipline. In order to understand
Aristotle's virtue ethics, the words eudaimonia and arête must be acknowledged. Eudaimonia is
defined as happiness or flourishing. This state of eudaimonia is achieved by striving for goals in life,
which in turn results in the individual's success and happiness. The individual is always setting new
goals in order to become the best person they can be. Arête, on the other hand, is defined as a virtue,
or what makes something outstanding. According to Aristotle, virtues are a mean between
deficiency and excess. This means that an individual has acquired a virtue when presented with a
situation, the individual preforms ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
According to Aristotle, the four cardinal virtues are prudence, temperance, courage and justice. Each
of these character traits are essential for an individual to become virtuous, in both their personal and
professional life. These traits are formed through practice, and developed throughout an individual's
life experiences. Prudence is defined as having practical judgment, or being rational. Temperance is
containing self–control, or control over an individual's behavior. Courage can be thought of as the
ability to face one's fears, and act bravely in a situation. Lastly, justice is defined as an individual
behaving in a fair
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11. Aristotle's Virtue By Aristotle
Virtue is the moral excellence of a person that cannot be taught. Morally excellent people have
characteristics that are constructed of virtues that are viewed as good to society. He or she may be
equipped with such characteristics like: honesty, respectfulness, courageousness, or being trust–
worthy. Because of these positive traits, he or she is responsible of doing the right thing no matter
the situation, and does not bend the law for personal affection, urges or desires, but respects and
follows values and principles. Some people might say that good traits are teachable and that they are
developed through good parenting, which they can be, but we're not perfect. No matter what one is
taught or what one's surroundings are, we are born with ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The word "honesty", for example, cannot exist in telling the truth only once. It is integrally related
to, practical wisdom, the whole of what a person needs in order to live well. It is also a trait of
character that is essential for leading a satisfying life. Aristotle lists justice among the virtues. A
virtuous person not only has a sense of fair treatment but can also determine what controls fairness.
The virtues are not merely means to happiness but are themselves constituents of it. Happiness does
not consist solely on what we get in life but also includes who we are and what traits are emerged
eternally. Aristotle always asks what the ultimate purpose of human existence is. If happiness is the
goal of every human beings according to Aristotle, however what does happiness imply? In his
attempt to define what happiness is and to find a way to attain it that Aristotle comes across the idea
of such virtues. Maybe it's not as easy for some people to comprehend but happiness does not
depend on what we own; happiness comes from within. Aristotle incorporates that happiness is one
of the main purposes of human life. Virtue, which Aristotle believes that is the balance between two
excesses and can be achieved by maintaining the mean of those excesses. Aristotle always asks what
the ultimate purpose of human existence is. Man is blessed with reason, and he knows that he cannot
allow
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13. Strengths And Weaknesses Of Virtues
Virtues he tells us are like diverse judgments of excellence or admirableness and you cannot reduce
to a single principle explanation of what it is excellent. He makes a comparison "X seems excellent,
but why?" "Because X has characteristics of A, B, and C which are excellent." He goes on to tell us
that he naturally begins to think why are they excellent and what is excellent about them. He says
most people will reflect on this and will come up with different reasons and it can just keep going on
there might not be a stopping point. He talks about each step taking us further from our explanation
why they are good or can even weaken why we think it is excellent. He states that this process
agrees with structural virtues.
He speaks to us that a particular person's moral character is a big discussion of their particular traits.
He says that if we think courage, generosity and justice are virtues and we need to think about other
things that are equal and that is more excellent. He compares courageous with cowardly and
generous with stingy and kind with unjust ways. He tells us that his book involves much reflection
about traits traditionally regarded as virtues.
He explains to us that a person must not only have a number of excellent traits but one must have
them all put together as a whole. He compares a soldier who is fighting for an unjust cause. He is
showing courage by fighting but is fighting for an unjust cause showing virtue. This is why he
explains to us
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15. Plato 's Views On The Virtue Of The Virtues Essay
"As far as I am concerned, the result is that I know nothing, for when I don 't know what justice is, I
'll hardly know whether it is a kind of virtue or not, or whether a person who has it is happy or
unhappy" (Republic 354c)
Plato presents Socrates as believing in the unity of the virtues, skeptical of those who, like Meno,
wish to treat the virtues as distinct objects of inquiry in dialogues such as Laches, Protagoras, Meno,
the Republic, and Euthyphro. These dialogues provide good reason to deny that Plato's Socrates
believed in the numerical identity of the virtues. I shall argue that in the various virtues is one
essence (or 'virtue'), as revealed in a conceptual search for definitional clarity and a metaphysical
appeal to Form that encompasses innumerous virtues.
I.
For Socrates, an adequate definition will reveal the common quality that belongs to both all and
only; and necessarily and sufficiently, instances of the virtue that is being defined. In Euthyphro,
Socrates addresses these definitional issues by criticizing the paradox presented in the dialogue as
follows: "And so Euthyphro, when you're asked what the pious is, it looks as though you don't want
to reveal its being to me, but rather to tell me one of its affections–that this happens to the pious, that
its loved by all the gods" (Euthyphro 11a). The term 'being' here I will interpret as essence, the more
commonly utilized semantic in translations of Plato (Ross 2006). An appropriate
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17. Meno's Interpretation Of Virtue
Yes, I do agree with Meno's first instinct, as even I would not be able to recount the interpretation of
"virtue" in its entirety. Meno interprets virtue as "to find joy in beautiful things and have power."
(Meno) Even more so, Meno believes that virtue varies in relation to men, women and children.
However, in reality, having virtue simply means to maintain and uphold good moral values and
characteristics. For example, patience is said to be a virtue. Other virtues can be seen as bravery,
charity, commitment, compassion, dignity, grace and honesty. I agree with Socrates when he states
that virtue is the same for everyone. With that said, on the other hand, not every individual possesses
all of the numerous virtues. This is because not every
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19. Aristotle Virtues
There are two kinds of virtues: moral and intellectual. Intellectual virtues are learned by experience
and time, whereas moral virtues are learned by habits and practice. Virtues are not given to us at
birth (nature); we have to make our own effort to train ourselves to be virtuous. In the next few
paragraphs, Aristotle emphasizes how pleasure and pain play an important role in how our moral
virtues are developed. To explain he uses an example of a glutton and a temperate person and the
pleasure/pain of food. Then he talks about how many people could be just but that doesn't
necessarily mean that they are virtuous. He proceeds to talk about his three criteria to determine if a
person is virtuous. First criteria is virtuous people know that
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21. Seneca's Interpretation Of Virtue
"Most powerful is he who has himself in his power" (Seneca). Virtue can be interpreted in distinct
ways depending on the speaker and their story. Seneca the Eldar illustrated his interpretation of
virtue in "On Liberal and Vocational Studies," through heartfelt, passionate and powerful letters. He
described virtue as essentially having integrity and morality. Seneca explained how knowledge and
action are characteristics of being a virtuous person and challenged the definition of education and
associated virtue with wisdom. The effect of becoming a person full of virtue is illustrated through
the characteristics of kindliness, temperance and loyalty.
Virtue is caused by the "good" actions of people; Seneca illustrates this through various essential ...
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The characteristic of temperance controls our desires and self–restraints. "Temperance knows that
the best measure of the appetites is not what you want to take, but what you ought to take." Seneca
is trying to convey that virtue allows a person to understand when they have sufficient resources or
when it's "too much." It is the act of being knowledgeable of what is a necessity versus a want. A
virtuous person accepts that being greedy or avaricious only harms and that there are other people
who perhaps are in need for more assistance. This is where the idea of giving back to the society
gravitates back. "It regulates and restores to a healthy measure, [it] does [not] ever approach our
desires for their own sake." The characteristic of temperance allows a person to understand right
from wrong. Not only does it provide self–control, but it clarifies the righteousness of
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23. Aristotle And Virtue
"Aristotle and the Ethics of Virtue and Character" explains the "theories" that make up a moral
situation. First, we have expectations for the outcome of a moral situation to be utilitarian or
sometimes produce another desirable result. We also have restraints that govern the actions we make
to produce those outcomes. Last, certain character traits define who is prepared to perform the
necessary actions and be content with the results. Aristotle's "The Moral Virtues" explains how the
mean of an excess and a deficit is the virtue. It is nearly impossible to act perfectly within the mean,
which is why Aristotle recommends that one keep away from the extreme that is more opposed to
the mean, be wary of pleasant things, and notice the direction (toward excess or deficit) toward
which one, personally, will tend. Finally, in "Habit and Virtue," Aristotle defines virtue as a result of
habituation. Character is developed through the repetition of activities, and therefore the aim of the
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Mckenna, believes that flexibility is the most important virtue for a 3/C midshipman. He explained
this by noting the unique place of a third class in a company. First, a 3/C must use the followership
learned as a plebe in order to learn from the upperclassmen who run the company, especially since
the youngsters were shotgunned and are having to learn an entirely new company system. But, along
with following the 2/C and 1/C, a 3/C is immediately expected to lead a plebe, which requires
flexibility in itself. A 3/C must find the line between being a friend and a superior to the plebe,
sometimes switching between the roles. Mr. Mckenna sees the increase in freedom of 3/C as a
difficult increase in responsibility because you suddenly expected to follow and lead but without as
many people constantly watching. If a 3/C is rigid in her ways, she will be unable to follow, learning
a new company's ways, and unable to lead, changing her ways to help develop someone other than
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25. Virtue Ethical Theories
Different ethical theories would view this issue in various ways. Virtue ethics believes in placing a
heavy focus on moral character, while focusing less on the action itself. In this situation a virtue
ethicist would evaluate if ending or continuing Samantha's treatment would impact her moral
character. The beliefs of strong moral character carried by a virtue ethicist would encourage
Samantha to further her parents wishes of continuing treatment. A virtue ethicist respect for human
life causes them to believe that Samantha should continue treatment because of the courage and
strength it shows. However some virtue ethicist might argue that because of the value for human
life, Samantha should be allowed to discontinue treatment to end the immense suffering she is in. A
virtue ethicist would considered all of the details of the patients suffering before making a ... Show
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Arête assist in the development of a virtue ethicist view of having high teleology or strong purpose.
A virtue ethicist who takes in account arête and teleology might encourage Samantha to continue her
treatment to prolong an excellent life. Agreeing with this is a virtue ethicist who places emphasis on
the golden mean, believing in exercising courage and pride. A virtue ethicist who does not exercise
courage is said to have low phronesis. A virtue ethicist would spend a lot of time evaluating all parts
of Samantha's case in order to make a decision. A virtue ethicist might struggle in making a decision
because of the issues of the vague guiding action and conflicting virtues. Each virtue ethicist would
approach Samantha case in a different way because of the variation of virtue ethics from culture to
culture. It is impossible to say what action a virtue ethicist would take in regard to Samantha's case,
however when you act virtuously, it seems your decision will ultimately be
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27. Teresa And The Acquisition Of Virtue
In the pages recounting her life, the sixteenth–century Carmelite nun Saint Teresa of Ávila provides
a specific view regarding how virtue is a gift granted by God that must be fostered through a
Christian's actions and community, a gift that is tested by corresponding vices. To Teresa, vices
simply amount to twisted virtues. Teresa casts God as the ". . . true Virtue, from which all virtues
spring . . ." and, convexly, casts the human race as distanced from God, and therefore, distanced
from virtue (Teresa 99, 58). In order to acquire virtue, God's grace is critical and "all efforts are
useless" without it (92). Instead of Christians sowing virtues, Teresa states that God alone plants
virtues within His followers (118). Once planted, it is up to each individual to foster each virtue, lest
it be taken away. According to Teresa, the development of each virtue represents a long journey
(263). The fully–grown tree also must be protected, as the individual must take care, to not permit
worms, sent by the devil, to ravage the tree (230). Virtues, in fact, equate to splendid jewels to be
taken away if their bearer forgets to polish and display them (73).
Teresa further argues the ability to nurture any virtue ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
She outlines the four ways to water God's garden: draw water from the well by hand, draw water
from the well with the help of a windlass, use a river or stream, or receive heavy rain (78). The first
three methods require work, but the last is purely God's wish to multiply the virtues within a person
(83). God may see some need for this non–Christian, whom he still loves, to have this character trait
in order to fulfill God's plan or purpose. This could explain the capacity for some amount of pure
virtue within a
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29. Socrates Virtues Of The City
Socrates believes every city and person has virtues within them, and it is the proper balance of the
virtues that results in justice. The virtues of a city, Socrates mentions are, wisdom, courage,
temperance and justice. He claims justice is the balance of all three virtues with everybody playing
their proper role in society. The first virtue he examines is wisdom. Wisdom, Socrates say's resides
in the smallest class, the Rulers, because they posses the knowledge, "...which takes measures, not
in behalf of anything in the city, but in behalf of the city as a whole..."(Republic, 428d). The next
virtue Socrates examines is, courage which he defines as the knowledge of what to fear. Courage he
explains lies with the auxiliaries because they must ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Moderation, he explains is the maintenance of the balance of powers within the city, which results
from the separation of the classes, and everybody in each class doing what they were meant to do.
"Justice in a city is virtue in the city arising from the prescence of three virtues..."(Republic, 427e).
The proper balance in a city of wisdom, courage and temperance results in justice, the last virtue.
Socrates definition of justice in the city–state and in the individual are analogous. He claims that just
as the are three virtues to the just city, there are three parts to the just individual, and it is the balance
of these parts that results this just individual. The three parts of the just person, Socrates believes
are, wisdom, appetite and the spirit or active part of the soul. Wisdom, like the rulers, is the smallest
part of the soul, and guide of reason in each person. Spirit, or the active part of the soul, pushes the
body into action to obtain its desires, and represents the auxiliaries of a city. The last part of the soul,
appetite, consists of the desires or passions found in the iron or bronze class, such as money hunger
and possession. Like the iron or bronze class in a city, this is also the largest part of
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31. Virtue Ethics
Introduction
Virtue ethics is a theory used to make moral decisions. It does not rely on religion, society or
culture; it only depends on the individuals themselves. The main philosopher of Virtue Ethics is
Aristotle. His theory was originally introduced in ancient Greek times. Aristotle was a great believer
in virtues and the meaning of virtue to him meant being able to fulfil one's functions. Virtue ethics is
not so much interested in the question 'What should I do?' but rather in the question 'what sort of
person should I become?' It has more to do with character and the nature of what it is to be human,
than with the rights and wrongs of actions. Instead of concentrating on what is the right thing to do,
virtue ethics asks ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Aristotle says we are most likely to acquire virtues by observing others in our society. If we
experience other people being kind to us and see the happiness it creates we are more likely to
practice this virtue then if we were just told to practice it. Aristotle said that the best way of
becoming virtuous was to follow in the footsteps of a virtuous person, e.g. Mother Theresa.
Aristotle said that a virtue was a 'Golden Mean' in between two vices.
These Vices are two extremes of the scale; one vice of excess and one vice of deficiency. For
example, for the virtue 'modesty', the vice of excess would be bashfulness and the vice of deficiency
would be shamelessness. Aristotle mentions 12 virtues that all fall between two vices. Some
examples of these virtues are honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness,
self–control, and prudence. Such virtues must be refined; we must learn when to use certain virtues
and make sure that they do not fall into the vices; in other words we must use them in moderation.
For example we must not ever use modesty in excess as we will become bashful, but at the same
time we must also not pass into the vice of deficiency–shamelessness.
Virtue Ethics is dependent; Aristotle realised that virtues in one country or society may not be the
same as virtues in another. As virtues have
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33. Virtue Ethics Vs. Sentimentalist Virtue
Virtue Ethics vs. Sentimentalist Virtue Ethics Virtue Ethics is defined as "any character–based
approach to normative ethics that emphasizes some conception virtues and vices; often including a
universal conception of human flourishing" (Blakley, Christopher). Aristotle and David Hume
developed accounts of ethics that remained true to their own empirical philosophies; both of which
stray away from the more traditional accounts. Their opposing theories contain the overall theme of
how a virtuous person would live their life. In contrast, David Hue developed his own account of
sentimentalist virtue ethics that challenges, or pushes back on, the virtue ethics Aristotle. According
to Aristotle, we should be virtuous people, and therefore perform virtuous acts. Instead of talking
about particular actions and the rules according to which they are undertaken, then, Aristotle
requires us to look at virtues, or qualities of character. Aristotle's teachings emphasize more on
character traits rather than rules or obligations. "Moral agency is not merely a matter of which rules
to follow, but a whole way of life. It requires a unity of thought and feeling, which is characteristic
of what Aristotle, called 'virtue'" (Boetzkes and Waluchow, p. 23). What is a virtue, and what is the
virtuous life? Aristotle's definition is cited as "a state of character concerned with choice, lying in a
mean, i.e., the mean relative to us, this being determined by rational principle, that principle by
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35. Jordan Virtues
Rivera I will assert that virtue is the happy, magnificent, and content median between the two vices.
This type of happiness is our highest objective in life. Moreover, all human activities aim at some
end that we consider good. According to Aristotle, virtue is a disposition to behave in the right
manner and as a mean between extremes of deficiency and excess, which are called vices.
Individuals learn moral virtue primarily through habit and practice. Moreover, Aristotle does not say
that we should aim for happiness, but rather that we do aim at happiness. Most individuals think of
"happiness" as physical pleasure or honor, but this is because they have an imperfect view of the
good life. A question of high significance in any investigation of ethics is how we can teach people
to be good. Furthermore, Aristotle makes it clear that virtue cannot be taught in a classroom or by
means of argumentation. Virtue is taught through consistent practice, which begins at a young age:
"Our discussion will be adequate if it has as much clearness as the subject–matter admits of for
precision is not to be sought for alike in all discussions, any more than in ... Show more content on
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As she explains: "Our various environmental crises are material and ecological, and they are
economic and political, but they are also existential and ethical. They are about what it means to live
as a human – understanding our place, possibilities, and limitations – in the world we've been given,
along with all the other beings that inhabit it...(page number 1210) " It is up to us to determine our
own happiness. We cannot pick and choose our own vices because the supreme value of good
should be an activity of the rational
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37. The, Virtue, By Socrates And Meno
In this paper, I try to discuss the sixth chapter in the book which focuses on the definition of virtue.
This passage mainly goes through dialogues between Socrates and Meno, who debated with each
other in order to make a certain definition of virtue. In the passage, Socrates gave his opinion of
virtue and tried to make Meno understand his ideas, while Meno held his opinion. In fact, virtue is
rather difficult to be defined. Even though both Socrates and Meno had contemplated what virtue, it
is still hard to give a definition of it. Also, trying to make a certain definition of virtue is also the
broad aim of the whole book–––Plato's Meno. This book was written by Plato, which is filled with
Socrates' dialogues. It aims to make sure the essence of virtue. From this portion in the book, I can
see that the aim of this passage could make a difference in helping reach the entire aim of the book.
In this paper, I prepared to explain the content of the passage as well as some important concepts.
What's more, I aim to mark out the difficult and important ideas, thoughts I have gained in the
process of reading. At the same time, I will also cite my personal experiences in order to support the
ideas in the passage.
At first, I will talk about the contents of this passage. This passage is concerning what virtue is. The
argument is whether virtue could be learned by or gift by God. Socrates believed that virtue was gift
by God and it was hard to cite a universal definition of virtue.
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39. Greek Virtues
The ancient Greeks had a philosophy when it came to behavior and showing high moral standards in
their society. Two Greek philosophers known as Plato and Aristotle compiled virtues that were
valued in the Greek society. These virtues began with Plato's original four which included wisdom,
courage, moderation, and justice. Later Aristotle would add an additional twelve virtues which two
courage and justice were already part of the original four, these were temperance, liberality,
magnificence, pride, honor, good temper, friendliness, truthfulness, wit, and friendship. Combined
Ancient Greeks had a total of 14 virtues. It is apparent that these virtues were very important to
Ancient Greeks since they are seen in the poems and stories told throughout
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41. 7 Great Virtues
Summer Peterson
12–13–06
Hour 3
7 Great Virtues
– Ben Franklin –
The first virtue Ben Franklin wanted was "An Aversion to Tyranny". The main idea of this to Ben is
that he doesn't like tyranny, which is power or control of one person. He didn't like to be told what
to do to and he also liked some control and therefore, have a limited government. Ben didn't want
any dictatorship either, which meant no kings or queens. Franklin realized that he didn't like the idea
of tyranny when he was 12 years old. He became an apprentice at the print shop of his older brother,
James, who tended to be a tougher boss. I think that Aversion to Tyranny definitely still exists in
America today. We still do not have any dictatorship in today's ... Show more content on
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The fifth virtue Ben Franklin put on the list of America's virtues was "Idealism in Foreign Policy".
Franklin once wrote, "The influence of every power is measured by the opinion one has of its
intrinsic force." When he went to Paris as an envoy during the Revolution, Franklin proved himself
a master of the diplomatic doctrine of realism by playing an adroit balance–of–power game between
France, Spain, the Netherlands, and later on, Britain. The main idea of this virtue, as I see it, is that
Franklin basically tried to portray each country's position as desirable to him. In a way, this virtue
still exists in America today. The only thing I can think of for this virtue in today's world is Iraq.
Even though it isn't ideal to be at war with a country, we do our best to fight against them and
eventually hopefully end the war and win it. The sixth virtue Ben Franklin wanted was
"Compromise". Franklin used the phrase, "Both sides must part with some of their demands," many
times. He used it the most when the Constitutional Convention was deciding on the issue of whether
the new Congress should be proportioned by population or have equal votes for each state. For
Franklin, who personally believed in proportional representation, compromise was not only a
practical approach but also a moral one. He believed that
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43. The Theory Of Virtue Ethics
The function of this paper is to determine why and how three members of the cast in the videos
"RPG Embedded in Soldier" made the choices they did in relation to the groups of values that are
commonly found within the theory of virtue ethics. In short, virtue ethics stresses being an
inherently good person versus simply doing good actions. This means that a virtuous person will
typically choose the right action simply because it is the natural thing for them to do. Applying this
concept to the video will help to further ascertain why the individuals in the video acted the way
they did. Moreover, to back the concepts and claims made in this paper specific examples shall be
cited from the video clip. As a result, this paper shall contain both concepts contained within virtue
ethics and examples from the media piece.
Criteria:
– Three virtues shall be assigned to each of the chosen cast members based upon the viewpoints they
expressed and actions they made
– These virtues shall come from the categories: conscientiousness, benevolence, self–discipline, and
self–assertion (with respect to others)
– Using these virtues and specific examples from the clip, reasons as to why and how they
conducted themselves shall be given
The Three Chosen Cast Members in Question:
– The pilot who violated military policy by flying the wounded soldier to the hospital
– The sergeant who helped the doctor perform the surgery to remove the RPG
– And the medic who was there when the solder was
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45. Franklin's Virtue Analysis
The art of virtue is a distinct method employed by Franklin. The method features thirteen different
aspects: "Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation,
Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity, and Humility". Franklin believed that it was essential and
advantageous for one to follow this instruction of method, not only to be happy, but to attain clarity,
morality, and virtue. Franklin's first act of virtue, temperance, necessitated self–control of eating and
drinking "Eat not to Dulnesss / Drink not to Elevation" (987). Franklin's second virtue, silence,
dictated not to involve yourself in useless discussion, as he illuminates "Speak not but what may
benefit others or yourself" (987). Franklin's ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The art of virtue is not precisely religious, it has more to do with the personal self, most importantly
self–reliance. Whereas, in Puritan values one must always rely first on God and his true and devout
ways. On the topic of religion, in the art of virtue, Franklin himself wrote that he "purposely avoided
them for being fully persuaded of the Utility and Excellency of my Method, and that it might be
serviceable to People in all Religions" (992). In the discernments of Puritan's, Franklin leaving out
any religion in his art of virtue would have been deeply looked down upon, since in their eyes there
is only one true religion and all must follow it. Franklin's art of virtue was meant for any and all
ideals, as long as one was looking for morality. Everything in a Puritan's life is done for God and the
ideal that by following his instructions they will wind up in that well–deserved place called heaven.
The art of virtue focuses on the ideal of the moral self, and what that entails for one's personal
virtue, how these virtues will help them throughout the life they are living, and is not worried about
Gods judgement or where that might lead them in the
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47. Aristotle's Virtue Ethics
Ethics in Engineer, Is it Virtuous?
Aristotle developed a type of ethics that many use throughout the world, virtue ethics. Virtue ethics
can be defined as an act that is right if, and only if, a virtuous person performs it for the right reason.
That begs the question, "What is a virtuous person?" A virtuous person is someone who conforms to
moral and ethical principles. For the sake of argument, morality is the difference between right and
wrong. I will discuss Aristotle's virtue ethics, how they apply to engineering, and how Dr. Harris's
claims differ from those of Aristotle.
Aristotle laid out three points in his theory of virtue ethics: eudaimonia, arête, and telos. First,
eudaimonia is achieving ultimate happiness within oneself. In Aristotle's mind, eudaimonia means
you have lived a good life and you are using reason to help feed the soul. The second point in his
theory is arête or virtue. Aristotle describes arête as becoming the ultimate of ones kind. According
to Aristotle, humans should strive every day to be the best we can be and to live the good life.
Finally, telos is said by Aristotle to be the final cause or end. All of us are living our lives here on
earth and take different paths along the way. One component of our lives is the same no matter our
culture, religion, or ethnicity and that is death. The way we live our lives and seek that final cause is
what Aristotle believes is important. Engineers are use to derivations, Aristotle believed that any
moral
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49. What Is Virtue Ethics
Chapter nine talks about the environment within and virtues. Christian virtue ethics focus on the end
of an act instead of on the consequences because the end says more about the agent (p.164, M). If
one person does something that doesn't seem of good virtue, then Christian virtue won't judge that
person till the end because their means for doing something could be different than one thinks. The
goal of virtue ethics is not better decisions but better deciders (p.164, M). Virtue ethics is about an
individual making a decision that may or may not be a good one. Then, people outside of that
decision have to decide if that individual's decision was worth changing or leaving it be.
Environmental virtue ethics aims for the formation of good people, because good ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
For example: courage is a virtue, but excessive courage is recklessness (a vice), and insufficient
courage is cowardice (also a vice) (p.167, M). Therefore, a virtue must have the right amount of
balance or it becomes a vice. Some virtues are called "dirty" virtues. Calling virtues "dirty" is a way
of reminding people of their intrinsic connectedness with dirt and with everything around them
(p.170, B). A "dirty" virtue is a virtue that is connected to the earth and it's environment. Dirty
virtues help people to live in good relationship with the animals, plants, water, air, and earth that are
our neighbors and without which we would not survive (p.170–171, B–T). These virtues are the
ones that drive people to protect the environment and see that nature is something that we need to
survive and cannot continue to destroy. However, virtues are something that are developed as one
continues to put them into action. Not all virtues are ones that we are born with. Virtues are acquired
and continually perfected as one practices being the kind of individual one wants to be (p.171,
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51. Aeneas Virtue
Virtue is a key theme in the literature of the Greeks and Romans. Aeneas, an incredibly virtuous
man, is still limited by his humanity. Though he is strongly compelled by his sense of duty, his even
stronger emotions often distract him. Contrastly, Socrates is portrayed by Plato to be at a level just
above human. He is capable of seeing past emotion and impulses of the flesh in a manner few
others, if any at all, are able to do. Socrates' transcendence beyond earthly desires and focus on the
betterment of the soul allows him to be the foremost instructor in virtue despite unfavorable
circumstances; Aeneas, on the other hand, is a virtuous leader who is hindered by his furor, or
uncontrolled emotion, and relies on heavenly guidance to keep him in check. Many virtuous deeds
were done by the hands of Aeneas. He is a good man and an exceptional leader. This is exemplified
by the way he and his father take the Greek Achaemenides into their party after the man was left by
his own companions to die on the island of Polyphemus the Cyclops (Aen. 3.706–712). The Trojans
had only recently escaped the destruction of their beloved Ilium, which fell because they trusted
another Greek, Sinon, who also claimed to be abandoned by his countrymen (Aen. 2.74–76).
Aeneas, refusing to draw parallels between Achaemenides and the traitorous Sinon, shows
compassion to the Greek warrior whom he knows nothing about. Later, Aeneas again shows his
capabilities as a leader during his father's funeral
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53. Argument On Virtue In Meno
Virtue In Plato's Meno, Socrates presents two different arguments in his attempt to define virtue.
One of his arguments is presented in 71e–73c, where Socrates argues that virtue has unity to it and
that simply giving examples of virtue will not tell us what virtue itself is. His second argument is
given in 87b–89c, where Socrates presents the idea that virtue must be a kind of knowledge that
makes other goods such as wealth, health or courage worthwhile. I believe that the stronger
argument here is that virtue must be a kind of knowledge, because without knowledge nothing is
beneficial or good in the world. Without knowledge one is more likely to make mistakes and put
themselves in bad situations. Without knowledge we cannot lead a good, ... Show more content on
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Socrates first argues that virtue has unity to it and then goes on to argue that virtue is knowledge. I
believe his second argument is in fact stronger because he presents a logical justification of how
virtue is knowledge. Through this argument it becomes obvious that without knowledge nothing is
beneficial or good in the world and thus virtue must be a kind of
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55. Aristotle Virtue Ethics
Virtue ethics is a theory used to make moral decisions. It does not rely on religion, society or
culture; it only depends on the individuals themselves. Since actions flow someone's character,
virtue ethics aspires to develop good people and good human communities. Virtue ethics is typically
associated with the Greeks and especially with Aristotle in the 4th century b.c.
Virtues ethics derives from Aristotle Nicomachean ethics which was named after his son
Nichomachus. Aristotle starts from actual moral judgements of human beings and says that by
comparing and contrasting we can come to the formulation of general principles. Living an ethical
life requires developing and demonstrating the virtues of compassion, wisdom, and temperance. It
also ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
For Plato a person's virtue consists in his knowledge of the good. It is not that a person has
knowledge about some things or just at certain times. They are just considered to be virtuous in
some aspects while being un–virtuous in others. Someone with the knowledge of the good is able to
determine the good in all decisions and will be virtuous unconditionally. This also similar for
Aristotle, an individual must be thought of as either having virtue, or lacking it. Both Aristotle and
Plato believe that virtue must be obtained through practice and self–control. Virtue is thought of as a
state or condition of the human
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57. Problem Of Virtue Ethics
"The rapid changes caused new problems– economic faulty, thoughtless and unethical decisions
have led to unpleasant consequences such as failed businesses, deteriorated relationships, and
conflicts in society as well as in organizations". To put in other words, the main problem is the lack
of ethics and virtues in business that have resulted in wicked outcomes which affected on only
businesses but the society in general as well. In his essay entitled "Vocational Virtue Ethics:
Prospects for a Virtue Ethic Approach to Business", David McPherson concludes by proposing a
number of solutions as to how business organizations must overcome this problem that challenges to
vocational virtue ethics. In this essay, I focus on analyzing three of the solutions, to wit, having a
clear mission statement and hiring employees according to their willingness to commit to it,
possessing a moral leadership, and reducing the tendency to avarice.
Before moving on to the solutions, I believe it is pertinent to give some insights behind the theories.
McPherson's essay mainly ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Many theorists have tried to explain virtue. Yet, common sense seems to indicate that virtue is
highly moral behavior. McPherson bases most of his arguments in Aristotle's virtue ethic principle,
which implies that one must commit himself to identify purposes of human nature that are worthy to
pursue and fulfill those purposes through exercising virtues, which would then, establish a higher
mode of life/ Eudaimonia (2013, p. 284).
McPherson argues that a way of applying vocational virtue ethics to business is by acknowledging
the notion of work as a calling or vocation. He explains his perspective further by distinguishing two
types of calling, general and specific. From his perspective, general calling is what we normatively
ought to do, while specific calling is the "particular way in which we seek to realize this general
calling" (2013, p. 290). Moreover,
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59. Virtue In Socrates And Menon
In Plato's Menon, Socrates and Menon discussed about the nature of virtue and whether it can be
taught. The definition of virtue varies a lot through the whole conversation. Even though Socrates
and Menon failed to reach a precise definition of virtue after spending amount of time and effort,
their arguments enlightened my idea that virtue consists in the ability to take the responsibility to
good purpose and a willingness to explore and learn. Virtue is not some sort of knowledge that can
be acquired by teaching or through predecessors, instead, being virtuous can be achieved by
constantly discovering and applying true opinions.
To begin with, being able to take the responsibility to good purpose consists a crucial portion of
virtue. Socrates firstly asked Menon the definition of virtue before figuring out if virtue can be
taught. Menon brought up several possible explanations, which, however, were rejected by Socrates.
The first one is that virtue is a specific thing among different people. To illustrate, for instance, for
men, virtue is to be good to friends and to harm the enemies; for women, virtue is to manage the
housework and take care of their family. However, this explanation only showed that various forms
of virtue exist among different people; Menon failed to clearly identify the virtue by pointing out
how these examples can share in common. From my perspective, even though people in the society
may have different roles, they all take responsibilities and make efforts to do their job. More
importantly, what they do benefits either themselves or society and does no harm others. For
instance, thieves can not be virtuous because even though they might make "efforts" to steal from
others, they benefit themselves by impairing people's interest and disturbing the social order.
Virtue does not consist in justice, instead, justice is one of forms of being virtuous. Menon later
modified his definition of virtue several times; he believed that virtue is the ability to rule with
justice and the ability to obtain justly. Socrates objected his answers because he used one term,
which is justice, to define virtue. From my point of view, being just, however, is only one aspect of
being virtuous. On the other hand,
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61. Virtue In The Odyssey
For centuries in literature, philosophers studied the idea of virtue to demonstrate the uphold of moral
excellence and righteousness within characters. Eventually becoming a staple in Western literature,
virtue can be described as the balance and imbalance of qualities specified by the philosopher Plato.
He thought much of virtue, and eventually defined it according to the four criteria: courage,
prudence, temperance, and justice. Plato portrayed courage as the showing of bravery in the midst of
danger, prudence is one's ability to show good judgment and to put other's needs before their own;
temperance is a person's knowledge of when to show restraint and justice is when one gives to
others what is owed to them. These characteristics not ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Shown with him and his crew, Odysseus seemingly has all interests in mind. One specific example
of prudent action is his quick and clear reasoning skills that allow him and his men to escape the
cave of the Cyclops safely. One example is after the death of his crewmen in Book 9, Odysseus
speaks "...draw my sharp sword from beside my thigh and smite him in the breast, where the midriff
hold the liver,...(Page 5)" Although he was initially vengeful and bloodthirsty after the murder of his
men by the Cyclops, he reasonably put those thoughts aside, shown as he says "...But a second
thought checked me, for right there should we, too, have perished in utter ruin. For we should have
not been able to thrust back with our hands from the high door the mighty stone which he had set
there. So then, with wailing, we waited for the bright Dawn"(Page 5). If Odysseus and his crew were
to ever rationally escape the cave, they would have to disregard their thoughts and wait for
morning–when the cyclops would remove the large door. Odysseus's clear thinking and prudent
nature on behalf of his shipmates, to wait for morning and to keep the Cyclops alive, enabled him to
plan reasonably even in a time of murder and
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63. Essay on Virtue as Habit
Virtue as Habit
The aim of this essay is to examine the following question. Does it make a difference in moral
psychology whether one adopts Aristotle's ordinary or Immanuel Kant's revisionist definition of
virtue as a moral habit? Suppose it is objected, at the outset, that these definitions cannot be
critically compared because their moral theories are, respectively, aposteriori and apriori, and so
incommensurable. Two points of commensurability and grounds for comparative evaluation are two
basic problems that any theory in moral psychology must address. They are moral ignorance (I don't
know what I ought to do) and weakness (I don't do what I know I ought to do).(1)
In the Nicomachean Ethics (hereafter Ethics), Aristotle ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
. . uniformity of action which by frequent repetition has
become a necessity, then it is not a skill proceeding from
freedom and accordingly not a moral skill (66).
Further, "inner freedom" is a rational self–control which enables one to "subdue one's emotions and
to govern one's passions" (67). Essential here is his claim that a virtue is not a "free skill" unless it is
a free act of a moral will which "in adopting a rule also declares it to be a universal law" (66–67).
Kant's concept of willing (i) freely and (ii) universally leads to his revisionist definition of virtue as
moral habit.
The key to (i) is to be found in his insistence on the cognitive certainty of the following
metaphysical thesis. Even if the phenomenal self is completely determined causally, the moral self is
free because it is noumenal (see the Critique of Practical Reason 28–34, 43–52, 55–59, 100–106;
hereafter Practical Reason). He claims that the noumenal self is a cause imminent in "experience"
because it is an "efficient cause through Ideas" (50). In short, Kant rejects the formation of moral
habits through repetition in order to protect radically the freedom of the moral agent from
phenomenal and scientific determinism. The key to (ii) is Kant's rejection of Aristotle's following
advice. Since the cognitive results of a kind of reasoning is determined by its subject matter, it is
foolish to require of moral reasoning the certainty and precision one can expect
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65. Virtue In The Meno
In the Meno, Socrates finds the meaning of the word virtue in terms of human wisdom. This
definition pursues a further question which is "what makes the quest for wisdom possible?"
(Gallagher, Commentary on the Meno). In the beginning of the dialogue, Meno asks Socrates if
virtue can be taught. Socrates says that doesn't have a complete and comprehensive understanding of
virtue. This is an example of human wisdom, knowing that you don't know something.
Hannah Arendt is a very famous philosopher. She wrote a paper on Adolf Eichmann who was a
logistics specializer during the Holocaust. In short terms, he was in charge of the train schedule and
had to make sure that it was picking up people in the right places at the right times. In 1963,
Eichmann
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67. Aristotle Virtue
Virtues dictate all systems of human morality. Aristotle's interpretation of virtue is found in Book II
of the Nicomachean Ethics, "the man who possesses character excellence does the right thing, at the
right time, and in the right way." While this holds true, it leads to an ambiguous interpretation.
Aristotle understood virtue as a set of character traits that, once developed, will lead to an overall
good character. Core virtues such as respect, loyalty, and honesty make up the foundation of the
virtue theory of ethical thinking. By living an ethical life, a person must demonstrate moral
character traits. A virtuous person lives his life in a sweet spot called the "golden mean" of the two
extremes of excess and deficiency. Actions dictated ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Captain Marty was a well–known daredevil skier, who on multiple recorded incidents had flown
other Concord flights overweight. Flight 4590 was attempting to fly with 1790 pounds over
maximum structural weight, this was unlawful, but was not an outrageous risk. However, this added
weight caused the centre of gravity of the plane to be pushed dangerously far to the rear. This
change in the centre of gravity made the plane more likely to stall at lower speeds. It was also
proven that even in a takeoff with all four engines working normally, they were well beyond the
point where the testing and models had deemed safe. Additionally, as the fuel gushed from the hole
in the forward number five tank, the centre of gravity moved still further back. In no way was
Captain Marty courageous when risking the lives of his crew and passengers by approving the extra
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69. Virtue Essays
Virtue Virtues contribute to people's actions in today's society. Society as a whole has a common set
of virtues that many people agree on. In today's society, these are known as laws. Virtues also mold
the individual outlook on life, and give them the moral's to do what is right. In The Republic, Plato
divides the city into three classes: gold, silver, as well as bronze and iron souls. Each class is
designated to posses a specific virtue. He believes that wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice
combine together to form The Republic. However, Plato's four virtues individually do not
necessarily produce a utopian society. A combination of the four in each citizen is imperative in
producing the ideal society. In Plato's search for the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Plato used the dyeing analogy to state how he wishes to train the silver souls (429d– 430b). He
states that the people will undergo a precise training. Certain music and physical activity will only
be allowed. Plato wanted a good upbringing to make the right ideas permanent in them, so that the
bleach of pleasure, grief, fear, or death, would not wash the true colors from their souls. "For, in my
opinion, you regard the right opinion about these same things that comes to be without education–
that found in beast and slaves– as not at all lawful and call it something other than courage" (430b).
Once they got to this point of having a clear, firm grasp of what is really dangerous to a man, they
knew their only task was to show courage. The third virtue in The Republic, is moderation. The
Greek term for moderation is Sophrosune. Plato defines moderation as the kind of accord and
harmony between the bronze and silver souls. Moderation is the ability to control desires and to be
the master of ones self. There are two things at work in a man's heart. One is good, and one is bad.
The bad can overwhelm the good. If the people have bad training or keep company with the wrong
people, the bad force grows powerful and can overwhelm the good. If the good one controls them,
then there is moderation; but if the bad one controls, they are a slave to their own desires and that
they are out of control or unprincipled. "If, therefore, any city ought to be designed
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71. Mackinnon Virtues
We have learned about Virtue which focuses on individual traits while ethics is a more general
approach to how people handle what's right and what's wrong. In the same unit we learned
Mackinnon defined Virtue ethics as being focused on individual traits. On the other hand other
theories take a general focus on how we decided what's right and wrong.
Mackinnon defines virtues as having good traits while the term virtuous is defined as a morally good
person. Most of the theories that we have studied thus far have a universal approach to ethics, and
don't account for individuality. For example Utilitarianism we learned to be defined as something is
good when it does the most good for the most people. This theory is not one that accounts for the ...
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Which differed from the view towards moral virtues which according to Aristotle are about doing
the greater good and being a better person by learning from mistakes and doing what feels right
naturally. (http://www.angelfire.com/md2/timewarp/ethics.html)
Intellectual virtue is said to be or defined as excellence of mind and can be acquired by either
inheritance or education. Philosophical wisdom and Practical wisdom are said to be two kinds of
intellectual virtue. Philosophical Wisdom is understanding nature and reality while Practical
Wisdom is knowing how to live life and achieve goals. There were some of the ideas and thoughts
of Aristotle which in comparison to others
The idea of individual traits is one that should be considered especially taking into account personal
relationships. Initially i thought character traits are important to me regarding personal relationships.
After viewing one source and learning character traits are adjectives used to describe one's
personality I realized this was the wrong approach.
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73. Socrates and Virtue
At the beginning of Meno Socrates and Meno are discussing what they think the true definition of
virtue is. They debate over this matter for quite some time and Meno continues to throw definitions,
of what he thinks virtue is, at Socrates. It seems like every time Meno would come up with what he
thought virtue was Socrates would shoot it down. Socrates would not come out and say this is not
right, he would merely ask him a series of questions in order for Meno to realize it on his own. One
after another Socrates continues to find problems with Meno's reasoning behind his definitions.
After the fourth attempt they finally decide they would try to start over with a clean slate in order to
find out what virtue truly is. At this point ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Socrates says that all activities done by humans depends on the soul itself, and if you are going to do
some beneficial then it involves wisdom to a certain extent. So if in order to do something beneficial
you need wisdom and they defined virtue as being something beneficial, therefore making the valid
point that virtue is wisdom, for the most part ( Sections 87e – 89b).
Virtue is what you make of it. Yes, to some extent, I agree with Socrates with virtue as wisdom, but
that is about as far as you can go with it. Really it is what you are willing to make of it in your own
life. There are good types of virtues and then there are harmful types of virtue. Now you cannot
really say that there are beneficial types of virtue and bad types of virtue. The reason behind this is
because, to some people, virtue can be beneficial in a bad way instead of the beneficial that most
people first think of. It varies from person to person. There is really no way of putting one basic
definition on virtue. Virtue encompasses so many different things, it would be nearly impossible for
us to slap a definition on it without finding a glitch or something wrong with the definition. There
will always be someone there to find a problem with it, because is that not the way our society
works? Somebody comes up with one thing, then after a while someone comes up something wrong
with that idea and proposes a new,
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75. The Scrutiny of Virtue
The Scrutiny of Virtue
Virtue is a mean condition which falls between the extremes of excess and deficiency which are
both subject to vices. Either of those two vices, or the practices of base behaviors, happen to rely on
the virtue that one aims for. For instance, courage is a virtue of which cowardice and rashness are
the deficiency and excess of respectively. Evidence of this is seen in Book II, Chapter 9 of
Nichomachean Ethics where Aristotle mentions "...virtue of character is a mean condition, and in
what way, namely because it is a mean between two kinds of vice, the one resulting from excess and
the other from deficiency..." It is important to understand that virtue is not acquired naturally but
rather through being–at–work. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I began by putting in more of my financial resources by buying necessities such as food and water
for my family on more frequent occasions than I had before as well as the will to spend more money
on my friends as opposed to the past were I would hold back from doing as a generous person
would.
Moreover, it had dawned on me from reflecting on Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics that I would
have to overshoot the mean (as mentioned above), taking into consideration that I fall under the
deficiency of generosity as frugal, by practicing wastefulness. To put this into practice I started
spending money I don't really have by using my credit cards to spend money by buying gifts for
family members as well as spending money to go out with friends more often than I have been in the
near past. Thus this temporary practicing of wastefulness has led me to believe that I am as close as
I never have been to becoming a generous person in the way Aristotle would describe.
In Plato's Meno, Socrates and Meno do not obtain a definition of virtue, while Socrates thinks that
virtue is a kind of knowledge, and if virtue is knowledge, then it should be able to be both defined
and taught. But most virtuous persons (virtue being some sort of excellence or another) don't seem
to be able to teach "virtue" to their own children (as told to Meno by Socrates). As a consequence of
this, it is problematic for both Plato and Socrates to
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77. Aristotle Virtue Essay
Plato and Aristotle Disagree about Virtue
Plato and Aristotle are great philosophers and they have talked a lot about virtue. Although these
two people started from similar settings, their ideas about virtue were actually different. Plato's
philosophy was more about non–material things, like ideas and love. On the other hand, Aristotle
liked things that are more measurable and physicals. In this paper, I will first discuss Plato's ideas
about the nature of virtue, which people have virtue when they are born and people can develop
virtue when they believe in god. Then, I will follow a discussion of Aristotle's ideas that virtue can
be learned by ourselves. Finally, I will conclude by comparing the two different ideas virtue's nature.
To sum ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Therefore, the things that are appropriate to the soul/mind, according to Plato, is virtue, and one of
the aspects of virtue is wisdom. It can be seen from this quote that Plato thinks that one of the
aspects of virtue is wisdom, which is self–awareness and knowing about things, like one's proper
function in life. Plato also says that when a soul that is pregnant with virtue, it "has the luck to find a
soul that is beautiful and noble and well–formed, he is even more drawn to this combination; such a
man makes him instantly teem with ideas and arguments about virtue – the qualities a virtuous man
should have and the customary activities in which he should engage; and so he tries to educate him.
In my view, you see, when he makes contact with someone beautiful and keeps company with him,
he conceives and gives birth to what he has been carrying inside him for ages" (Plato, 1989, p.492).
This quote shows that Plato thinks that a person can learn about their own proper function by
associating with someone who already has this wisdom; it cannot be increased. Therefore, for Plato,
the aspects of virtue are things like wisdom, beauty, or nobility, which all can be revealed but cannot
be developed more. The next thing that will be discussed is Plato's ideas on the purpose of virtue. In
the Symposium, Plato used Socrates's speech to express that the use of virtue is to help make
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