1. Virtue Ethics (Aristotle)
Guiding Principle 3

2. Virtue Ethics
A virtue is an admirable quality seen to produce success or benefit in a given community.
So, in virtue ethics virtues are admirable qualities that lead to moral excellence!
Modern day Virtue Ethics proponents include Elizabeth Anscombe and Alasdair MacIntyre
A philosophy first developed by ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle ( BCE), who asked:
What does it mean to live a good life?

3. Aristotle Believed that we can make a conscious effort to be good
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.” (Nicomachean Ethics)
In Aristotle’s society there were very specific virtues that you needed to ‘be good’: strength, courage, comradeship (friendliness), justice, temperance (control) and wisdom.

4. For society to work, we need to cooperate and live together.
Virtue ethics suggests that people cannot live alone as individuals in a society.
For society to work, we need to cooperate and live together.
If there are virtues that everyone aspires to and practices, then society will be better for everyone.
Aristotle believed that you could be a good man by practicing these virtues until they became ingrained in you, until you acted like that without needing to think about it:
You could become temperate by ensuring you controlled your emotions and actions and did not go to extremes in anything.
You became brave by doing actions that would be considered brave

5. Aristotle & The Good Life
Aristotle’s aim was for everyone to lead what he called the ‘good life’ and achieve happiness (eudaimonia).
People are not just naturally ‘happy’ – you must work for it.
This good life could only be achieved by following the virtues.
If you follow the virtues then you are living according to the Golden Mean (a balance between extremes of behaviour)
Today, different societies might have different virtues that would lead to happiness (or more modern ways of expressing the same things Aristotle did!)

6. Judging People
People are considered to be good by demonstrating that they are living according to virtues.
This means that you are judged on your actions and their outcomes. You intentions do not count so much.
For example, if you practice doing kind things and making others happy, then this will become a habit and you will begin to think in a kind way.
If you do not genuinely want to be a kind person, then you will fail and people will see by your actions that you are not a good person.

7. Becoming Good It is not enough to simply try and do ‘good stuff’
If you do not understand why something is a virtue, you will not be able to practice it properly.
Due to this reason was also important to Aristotle – you need to think through each situation, and understand how you should act in it (according to virtues)
It is not easy to follow virtues – it requires understanding and effort.
If people genuinely want to be good they can achieve it, through dedication and effort.
This separates a virtuous man from a non-virtuous man.