I agree with Kant that lying is wrong. However, unlike Kant, I do believe there are exceptions that allow us to justify a lie when the greater good outweighs the wrongness from the lie. When I say greater good I do not necessarily mean the greater good for all, as in utilitarianism, but more the overall result from the lie is better than the overall result from not lying (e.g., a life is saved). So, I guess I prescribe to consequentialism here. If a murderer is at my front door looking for a friend I am harboring in my basement, I feel I have a higher moral obligation to my friend and his or her safety than to the murderer by not lying. If I don’t lie to the murderer, am I not, then, just aiding them in their quest for destruction? In which …show more content…
To quote our text, virtue ethics focuses “not on what to do, but on what to be.” Therefore, virtue of ethics is not a set list of rules to which we look to help us in making good decisions, but rather a guide to obtaining “excellence” in character. The idea is to do all things good for no other reason than to be good, not to obtain something else. His reasoning is a bit circular in the sense that he does not give a clear-cut definition of what qualifies a person as virtuous. However, to be virtuous is to be pure, good, saintly, and essentially have a high moral standard, and having that characteristic alone will guide persons to make good decisions. Being virtuous, then, is doing something for no other reason than to be good. Choosing to be nice or do good things for others with the motivation to have them help you in some way later, have them like you more, or really any reasoning other than just wanting to do something nice and good for them for nothing in return is what constitutes a person as being non-virtuous. I think virtue ethics can stand on its own without supplementation, but it requires more thought and action on the individuals part than simply looking to a set of rules for all the
The founders also stated that for their to be virtue there needs to be religion, as one must render god and put all faith in him as the source of all organisms and the principles of daily routines. As the founders mentioned, virtue is vital because without virtue there can be no liberty, which is key in American societies. In order for one to be virtuous they need to display morally good or righteous qualities. According to the founding fathers the moral man knows that there are set parameters regarding how he can live.
A virtue is when a person behaves in a moral manner. Certain virtues that societies should possess can be harmful. Typically, good virtues, such as honor, courage, and compassion. are commonly used by people as a way of living. Every society should live by the good virtues and strive to ensure that all citizens are treated equally.
“We value virtue but do not discuss it. The honest bookkeeper, the faithful wife, the earnest scholar get little of our attention compared to the embezzler, the tramp, the cheat.” ― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America. In this quote steinbeck poses the question of the value of virtue and its place in the world often as humans we are attracted to the opposite and it seems to workout fine sometimes.
The great Aristotle declared, “We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly.” Virtue should be defined as perfect or righteous. However, it can be argued that because Ransom is a man, and man is sinful, he could not choose to be virtuous. Because this is the case, and man is inherently sinful as Jesus said in Matthew, “No one is good but One, that is, God” (Mark 10:18), we will adapt Merriam Webster’s definition of virtue, “Conformity to a standard of right, morality. A particular moral excellence” (merriam-webster.com).
In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Book ll, he explains that virtue is a habit of right action, formed by acting rightly (Nicomachean Ethics, p. 71). What he means by this is that everyone has the chance to act virtuously, but we must for work at doing what is right. Aristotle thought we should be virtuous because if we live virtuously than we will have a better life over
Virtue is not something that occurs by avoiding evil, it comes when you decide to conform to morality and to what is
Aristotle describes virtue theory as an ethical theory that emphasizes an individual 's character rather than following a set of rules. Breaking it down even further to specify knowing right from wrong, being able to read an atmosphere by knowing what is right, and it is the midpoint between two extremes. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. display to be a virtue ethicists through his letter oppose to being a deontologist or utilitarian. Laws define a set of rules that the people should follow; however, there are unjust laws that are meant to be challenged.
Virtue is an active choice. Even the things you don’t think about doing, it is still an unconscious choice. Ransom chose to run away, he chose to live with the Hrossa, and he chose to make the journey to Oyarsa, just to name a few. Ransom’s life at Malacandra was full of choices, just as our lives are full of choices. Some people might say that virtue is not an active choice.
Out of the Silent Planet What is virtue? Merriam-Webster defines virtue as morally good behavior or character. So how does one become truly virtuous? Must they simply avoid evil or morally wrong behavior? Or must virtue be an active choice?
Moreover, Virtue means “behavior showing high moral standards.” (dictionary.com). Ransom always showed virtue in all situations.
Devine releases the young man, drugs Ransom, and kidnaps him instead of the boy. Ransom sticks to his word and returns the boy to his mother, but at what cost to himself? Now, everyone can agree that to be virtuous is to be one who makes an active choice to follow a high moral standard in all circumstances. However, some people would argue that virtue is to simply stay away from things that could cause one to fall into sin. Being virtuous is an active choice that one must make and does not just come from abstaining from evil.
Plato argues that virtue comes with knowledge, actually it is itself a certain kind of knowledge that is not achievable by everyone and only some people are able to possess this knowledge, thus become
According to Mill, lying is the worst thing an individual can do. In the state of lying it weakens a person ability to the the truth, the person is incapable of telling the truth in the future. At most time lying usually is morally wrong because it decreases overall happiness in the society. It is only morally right to lie to produce more happiness or ensure that the desire to live is fulfill in a person.
Virtue theory is more comprehensive and practical than traditional approaches to business ethics because it is about the type of person. Virtue theory is concerned with the cultivation of character and it provides happy life. Moral growth comes from choice rather than rules. Virtue ethics emphasizes the process of individual moral character development. Virtue theory helps to develop principles, tactics and procedures of business.
Virtue Ethics and Confucianism Virtue is a popular theme that can be found in films, books, and societies around the world. The definition of virtue in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English language is “the quality of moral excellence, righteousness, and responsibility… a specific type of moral excellence or other exemplary quality considered meritorious” (Morris). In relation to a philosophical standpoint, there are a number of theories regarding virtue, which fall under the broad category of virtue ethics. As defined in the 7th Edition Ethics Theory and Practice textbook written by authors Jacques P. Thiroux and Keith W. Kraseman, virtue ethics are “character-based ethics…about becoming a certain kind of person.” “It’s concern,