Aristotle's Explanation Of Virtue

Virtue can be defined as a positive trait of character that a person permanently possesses. Some people may argue that virtues are learned and others may claim that they are inherited, however, both can undoubtedly be true. Some of the positive traits that can be considered virtuous are, but not limited to honesty, generosity, courage, and loyalty. Sometimes we act a certain way because we believe it is the right thing to do, but we do not focus on what is considered as right to others. For instance, I may lie to my friend that his hairstyle looks good because I do not want to hurt his feelings, but let’s assume he goes to work and his colleagues makes fun of his haircut. Was my action considered virtuous? This is why we should focus on the …show more content…
In section 12.5, the author claims that Aristotle’s virtue ethics are incomplete because there is lack of explanation to why some things are considered virtues, it also does not tell us what someone’s best interests are, and finally because it does not help people deal with moral conflicts happening daily. In a clear example, the author clarifies that some virtues sometimes find themselves against each other. He gave the example of honesty and kindness, which are both virtues. He states, “suppose I just got a haircut—a mullet the likes of which have not been seen since 1992—and I put you on the spot by asking you what you think. You can either tell me the truth, or you can say I look just fine” (171). Whatever alternative that person takes, it will go against the other alternative. If that person decides to be honest, then he will be considered not kind and vice …show more content…
This is the case of engineers who may sometimes do something unethical without necessarily having bad intentions. For instance, an engineer in charge of CitiCorp building in New York found out he had forgotten to account for wind load in his calculations, meaning that under severe wind condition the build would collapse. Since a hurricane was approaching, the engineer decided to inform the architect in charge, the city engineer, and the client. All four parties agreed that this information must remain private and that the constructions to resolve the issue must be done at night with nobody present (James NYE). The questions that may arise are whether it is morally right to not inform the public about the situation just to avoid a possible public panic or is it unethical to put the lives of people in danger without informing them. This example clearly illustrates a possibility that Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics may be incomplete since this idea cannot help into resolving or providing guidance in a situation similar to the one discussed above.
However, Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics had concisely responded to the author’s objection that this author might have missed or not paid attention to. Aristotle argued in Chapter 8 that “…happiness is a virtuous activity of the soul” (63). He adds on that a happy man will inarguably be virtuous, while a man who lacks happiness might not