Exam 7: Virtue Ethics: Be a Good Person

The fact that we regularly judge the moral permissibility of actions as well as assess the goodness of character suggests that

Critics have taken virtue ethics to task for alleged problems in

In ethics, the central question asked by a virtue ethicist is "What should I do?"

In pointing out the shortcomings of rule-based ethical theories, the philosopher William Frankena says that principles without virtues are

It's possible that someone would have to choose between performing or not performing an action that could lead to serious harm to a friend-yet each choice could involve the same two virtues in contradictory ways (for example, one choice could privilege the virtue of honesty to the detriment of loyalty, and the other could privilege loyalty to the detriment of honesty). Such a case suggests that virtue ethics may have a problem with

Contemporary virtue ethicists argue that if virtues were eliminated entirely from morality, leaving only principles or rules of justice, the moral life would appear

It seems that a person can be benevolent, honest, and loyal but still treat a stranger unjustly. This shows that

Virtue ethics puts primary emphasis on being a good person and living a good life, whereas duty-based moral systems

According to Aristotle, the greatest good for humans is

Aristotle distinguishes between

Aristotle argues that the true goal of humans is ________, which means "happiness" or "flourishing" and refers to the full realization of the good life.

Virtue ethics claims that the right action is the one performed by the virtuous person and that the virtuous person is the one who performs the right action. But some philosophers say that this way of framing the matter amounts to

Aristotle's conception of virtue as a balance between two behavioral extremes is known as the ________.

The primary focus of virtue systems, according to the philosopher Louis Pojman, is on discovering the proper moral example and ________ that person or ideal type.

Suppose you are seriously ill and laid up in the hospital. If a friend came to visit you only because it was her duty to do so (duty was her only motivation), you would likely view her action as heartfelt and genuine.

By the lights of virtue ethics, if you rescue someone from disaster solely out of a sense of duty, then your action is

A theory of morality that makes virtue the central concern is known as ________.

According to critics of virtue ethics, one may be virtuous (kind, just, and honest) and still not know

Virtue ethicists try to achieve the moral ideal by

Many duty-based theorists believe that motivation for moral action cannot be derived entirely from considerations of duty, just as appropriate motivation cannot be based solely on virtuous character.