Aristotle Virtue Ethics

Virtue Ethics is neither deontological nor teleological, it is not concentrated upon the action itself or the consequence. It is agent centred and involves the pursuit of arete, the pursuit of excellence. This is because it is an aretaic ethic, it emphasises virtues (strengths) and vices (weaknesses) of character. The question is not what should I do but what kind of person should I be? “We are not concerned to know what goodness is but how to become good people” told Aristotle who played a part in the development of Virtue Ethics. At the centre of Virtue Ethics are virtues and vices, we should aim for the virtues and avoid the vices which can be deficiency or excess. By doing virtuous acts we acquires these virtues in the same way that we …show more content…
According to Aristotle abiding by the golden mean is the best way to live in society because lack of balance in characters can cause problems. The virtue is found between the vice of excess and the vice of deficiency of the virtue. For example the virtue is temperance. The vice of excess is self-indulgence and the vice of deficiency of insensibility. The importance of The Golden Mean is supported by Rosalind Hurthouse, she believes that virtues assist practical reasoning and complying by these virtues will enable us to become better and respond to moral dilemmas. Following the Golden mean is the most reliable path towards flourishing which will lead us towards eudaimonia. In maths terms though the term mean relates to the average, so the could mean could be seen to promote mediocrity. If everyone sticks to the average then there would be no innovation or progression in society. Which to Philippa Foot is important, she said that “ethics should be about making the world a better place” because she believed that a virtuous person flourished as an individual and doesn’t merely conform to society. A more useful interpretation of the Golden Mean would be about balance and harmony. Another problem with the golden mean, which in some way prevents it from being the most important aspect of Virtue Ethics is that the mean is not the same for everyone and can depend on circumstance. Take the virtue courage for example, would it be courageous to jump into a freezing lake to save your dog or is it too rash risking your own life? Phronesis (practical wisdom) needs to be applied in order to decide on the right course of action in each situation, so could phronesis be more important or the most