Summary of Antiquity: Virtues ethics
Virtue Ethics: resuming… Virtue ethics is about character (agent-centered) Virtues may be defined as the just means between two values (this is what Aristotle proposes) but this idea is not necessary present in contemporary virtue ethicists Education and habits are necessary in order to develop a virtuous character, but they should be coupled by experience and reason, that is to say practical wisdom The virtuous person is able to take into account the particular circumstances Eudaimonia (‘happiness’) is not only the major goal of the virtuous person, but also his/her major reward. And eudaimonia is not a state, but an activity Virtue Ethics Problem 1: what does this doctrine requires to do? Or the “anti-codifiability” problem: virtue ethics doesn’t provide a rule of conduct, that is a procedure for determining what is the right action in any particular case in such a way that anyone could understand and apply it A virtuous person should first of all promote virtues and avoid vices (for example, do what is honest and do not do what is dishonest): this idea gives a sort of guidance Exactly because virtue ethics is flexible and situation-sensitive the agent should be responsible for what he does, therefore he provides an example that can be observed by others