Someone with proper pride thinks themselves worthy and is worthy they make claims to appropriate treatment by others in accord with their merits. One of the virtues Aristotle considers is proper pride, what we might think of as appropriate self-regard. He has a long list of virtues with their attendant vices, and even with its length, there is little reason to think his list is exhaustive.Īlthough we may wonder if this account of virtue accurately captures the character of all virtues and vices, careful consideration of some cases shows its usefulness. So, for instance, Aristotle thought that the virtue of courage is a middle way, between the vices of cowardice and recklessness. Emotional responses, like virtuous character traits, are acquired through habit and though they should not override reasons, Aristotle believed they had an important role in our moral lives.Īristotle had a very particular account of the virtues, each one of which he thought was situated between two vices-one of excess and the other of deficiency. From eudaemonia positive and appropriate emotions flow. (This is one of the reasons why many translators prefer the term “flourishing” as a translation of eudaemonia.) Eudaemonia is nothing other than living virtuously, functioning well as a human being over a continuous period of time by consistently doing the right thing. It is important to understand that Aristotle is not just saying that if you follow the virtues, then you will experience happiness. (The BBC has a nice little video about eudaemonia and Aristotle’s ethics, which you can view here.) The Greek term Aristotle used is “ eudaemonia,” which is variously translated as happiness, flourishing, and well-being. Although we have used the term “happiness,” this isn’t a perfect translation. Aristotle believed that what we pursue is happiness and a happy life is the ultimate good that humans seek. Similarly, pleasure is often a sign of the good-particularly for virtuous people who take pleasure in acting virtuously-but it is not itself good. After all, wealth is only an instrumental good as it merely provides a means for obtaining things that we hope will make us happy but does not provide happiness directly (or particularly reliably). While we can see that many people pursue things like pleasure and wealth, these are not the kinds of ultimate ends that Aristotle has in mind. His book, The Nicomachean Ethics, begins by identifying the good as that which people pursue for its own sake.
The most famous virtue ethicist in the European tradition is Aristotle (384–322 BCE). Thus, many virtue ethicists emphasize the importance of education and having a social environment that supports the acquisition of virtue as well as discussing how those of us who want to be better people can shape our own characters. Good habits are acquired by repetition, whether we repeat these actions mindfully or simply by inclination, just as bad habits are acquired by repeatedly behaving badly. The disposition to be good is, in effect, a habit of behaving well. They all recognize that developing a good character takes training and practice. Although philosophers have different ways of identifying virtues and characterizing the good life, virtue approaches tend to have a set of things in common. Arguably, whenever someone tells a story about an exemplary human being with the clear implication that others ought to behave like this exemplar, they are engaged in a kind of virtue ethics. The idea is that if one has the right kind of character, then one will, as a result of this, do the right things and good consequences will follow.Īs with consequentialism and deontology, we can find versions of this approach in many different cultural traditions. While acting in the right way and bringing about good consequences matter, developing a virtuous character is the central concern.
Moral virtues and vices list how to#
Virtue ethics approaches focus on describing virtues (and vices) and explaining how to develop a virtuous character and live a good life.