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Rethinking Ethical Virtue Theory: Balancing Autonomy and Well-being

Explore the centrality of virtues in ethics, challenges to normative theories by philosophers like Sartre and Nietzsche, and the role of moral principles in virtue ethics. Delve into the link between practical wisdom, human flourishing, and the moral standing of all species. Discuss the interplay between virtue and normative theories for determining right action.

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Rethinking Ethical Virtue Theory: Balancing Autonomy and Well-being

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  1. Normative Ethics Section 4 Virtue Ethics

  2. Virtue Ethics Theory • Centrality of virtues. • Rightness as behaving as the virtuous person would behave.

  3. Sartre: rejects appeal to principles bases values on individual choice. Problem: over-emphasis on autonomy neglects well-being & flourishing. Rejection of Normative Theory

  4. Nietzsche: ‘transvaluation of values’. Problems: indifference to badness of suffering rejection of qualities such as kindness. Critic of Traditional Normative Ethics

  5. The case of moral particularists is more cogent. Reject moral principles except as rules of thumb. Jonathan Dancy But we recognise the indispensability of moral principles. Consider promise-keeping. Consider why principles have firm grounding in ethics theory. Rejection of Moral Principles

  6. Virtue Ethics • Virtuous person has practical wisdom. • Virtue necessary for eudaemonia or human flourishing. • Note: these claims are controversial.

  7. Consider… • the role of practical wisdom in virtue ethics & whether virtue is necessary for eudaemonia.

  8. Virtue Ethics • Criteria of virtue include contributiveness to the survival of the human species. • But this theory needs revision to recognise the moral standing of other species. • Suggests a normative theory is needed to supplement virtues.

  9. Stronger Form • Right action is doing what the virtuous person would do. • The suggestion that normative theory is required to supplement virtues would be denied by strong virtue ethicists. • Treats rightness as dependent on virtue. Consider this relation.

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