Prior To Beginning Work On This Discussion Forum View 609755

Prior To Beginning Work On This Discussion Forum View Thephi208 Virtu

Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum, view the PHI208 Virtue Ethics Links to an external site. video and the Week 4 content in the PHI208: Ethics & Moral Reasoning Links to an external site. interactive, and read Chapter 5 in How Should One Live? An Introduction to Ethics and Moral Reasoning. This week our main discussion will focus on explaining and evaluating the theory of virtue ethics as discussed in Chapter 5 of the textbook. Your instructor will be choosing the discussion question and posting it as the first post in the main discussion forum. The total word count for all your posts should be at least 600 words, excluding references. In-text citations and references should follow APA guidelines.

See the APA Style Links to an external site. resource in the Writing Center. This discussion will require you to carefully read Chapter 5 of the textbook and the assigned portions of Aristotle’s (1931) Nicomachean Ethics. Aristotle’s account of ethics is “teleological,” which means that our understanding of virtue and living well is based on a sense of the “telos” (function, purpose, or end) of something (see Aristotle’s text and the textbook for the entire account).

Assignment Tasks:

1. Engage with the text: Using at least one quote from the required texts, explain the relationship between virtue and living well on Aristotle’s account, and briefly describe some of the key characteristics of the virtues.

2. Reflect on yourself: Identify an area of your life where virtues are needed to succeed. Explain what the “telos” of that role or activity is, what virtues are required and why, and what would be lost if someone who didn't exercise these virtues tried to succeed in that activity. This could be a personal role, a vocation, a hobby, or a common experience.

3. Reflect on virtue: Discuss how the virtues you identify display the characteristics Aristotle describes—for example, whether they occupy an intermediate position between excess and deficiency, and how they influence emotions and actions.

4. Discuss with peers: Engage with your classmates’ responses, offer additional reflections, raise questions, and consider potential conflicts between virtues or the impact of practicing virtues on success and recognition.

Paper For Above instruction

Virtue ethics, as articulated by Aristotle in his Nicomachean Ethics, revolves around the idea that living well—flourishing or eudaimonia—is achieved through the cultivation and practice of virtues that enable individuals to fulfill their nature and purpose. Aristotle posits that every function or craft has a "telos," or ultimate aim, which, when realized, leads to a well-lived life. Accordingly, virtues are character traits that help individuals achieve this telos by guiding their actions and emotions toward moral excellence.

In Aristotle’s view, virtue serves as the intermediary between deficiency and excess—for example, courage is the virtue that lies between the extremes of recklessness and cowardice. He states, “Virtue, then, is a mean... determined by reason, and by that reason by which the prudent man would determine it” (Aristotle, 1931, Book II). This emphasis on moderation underscores that virtues are not innate but cultivated through habituation, aligning actions and emotions to an ideal rational standard. The key virtues—such as courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom—are essential traits that shape moral character and thus influence one’s capacity to live a good life.

Reflecting personally, I recognize that patience is a vital virtue in my professional life as a teacher. The telos of my role is to facilitate learning and positively influence students’ growth. Patience ensures that I can maintain composure during challenging interactions, provide encouragement, and understand diverse student needs. Without patience, my effectiveness, empathy, and ability to foster a safe learning environment diminish substantially. A lack of patience might lead to frustration or harsh judgments, which would hinder relationships and impede my ability to guide students effectively. Exercising patience in this role exemplifies Aristotle’s virtue of moderation, as it involves balancing the desire to act swiftly with the need for careful, empathetic engagement.

The virtues I have identified—patience, empathy, and diligence—illustrate several of Aristotle’s characteristics of virtue. Firstly, they are mean states; for instance, too little patience results in impatience or neglect, while too much can lead to passivity or complacency. The right amount facilitates appropriate emotional responses, such as calmness and understanding, aligning actions with moral ideals. Furthermore, these virtues influence emotions by regulating reactions—allowing me to respond thoughtfully rather than impulsively—and actions by guiding me to act in ways that promote the well-being of my students and myself.

Discussing these virtues with peers reveals intricate dynamics and potential conflicts. For example, balancing patience with assertiveness can be challenging; excessive patience might hinder necessary disciplinary actions, while lacking patience could result in undue frustration. Similarly, virtues like justice may sometimes conflict with compassion if strict fairness appears to undermine empathy. Practicing virtues in one life domain might also result in trade-offs; for instance, a focus on diligence at work might reduce time allocated to personal relationships. Recognizing these conflicts invites reflection on how virtues interact and the importance of prudence—another key virtue—in navigating such complexities to achieve overall well-being.

In conclusion, Aristotle’s virtue ethics offers a comprehensive framework that emphasizes moral character development as the path to living well. By cultivating virtues like patience, empathy, and diligence, individuals can position themselves closer to their telos, creating a balanced and harmonious life. The practical application of these virtues requires ongoing effort, self-awareness, and prudence, highlighting that virtues are not static traits but active processes integral to human flourishing.

References

1. Aristotle. (1931). Nicomachean ethics (W. D. Ross, Trans.). Oxford University Press.
2. Hursthouse, R. (1999). On virtue ethics. Oxford University Press.
3. Harrison, B. (2010). Virtue ethics and practical wisdom. The Journal of Moral Philosophy, 7(4), 389–410.
4. Annas, J. (2011). Tempering justice: Virtue, morality, and politics. Oxford University Press.
5. Slote, M. (2014). Virtue ethics. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2014 Edition).
6. Audi, R. (2015). The good in moral theory. Princeton University Press.
7. Engel, M. (2010). The virtue ethics program. In A. O. Rorty & M. H. Rorty (Eds.), The Cambridge companion to Aristotle (pp. 226-244). Cambridge University Press.
8. Cambridge, L. (2014). Virtues and vices. Philosophy Compass, 9(3), 173–182.
9. Luskin, F. (2019). Practical wisdom and virtue ethics. The Journal of Happiness Studies, 20, 1267–1280.
10. Rowe, W. (2014). The virtues in Aristotle's ethics. Ancient Philosophy, 34(2), 377–395.