Contemporary Virtue Ethics

Transcription

1 Dr. Clea F. Rees Canolfan Addysg Gydol Oes Prifysgol Caerdydd Centre for Lifelong Learning Cardiff University Y Gwanwyn/Spring 2015

2 Outline Glossary Entries Papers The Historical (Mis)fortunes of Virtue Ethics Terminology Agent-Focused vs. Agent-Based Theories Cool & Warm Utilitarianism vs. Morality as Universal Benevolence Thesis & Argumentation An Agent-Based Defence of Virtue Ethics

3 Glossary Entries Glossary Entries Questions about glossary entries:

4 Papers Papers Questions about writing your paper:

5 The Historical (Mis)fortunes of Virtue Ethics Contemporary Ancient Medieval Modern Anscombe Epictetus Mill Aristotle Augustine Bentham BCE CE Plato Aquinas Kant Socrates Virtue Ethics courage, justice... Right Action moral, right, law... Foot Virtue Ethics?

6 Terminology Terminology Questions 2 & 3:

7 Agent-Focused vs. Agent-Based Theories Agent-Focused vs. Agent-Based Theories Agent-Focused A theory is agent-focused if it focuses ethical evaluation on character traits, motives etc. as opposed to actions. e.g. Aristotelian virtue ethics, Hursthouse etc. Agent-Based A theory is agent-based if it takes character traits, motives etc. to be the (only) fundamental, non-derivative objects of ethical evaluation. i.e. What makes a trait a virtue is not that it contributes to eudæmonia (Aristotle) or is generally beneficial to its possessor and others (Foot).

8 Agent-Focused vs. Agent-Based Theories Agent-Focused vs. Agent-Based Theories What should we say about Foot s courageous burglar? Image credit: Clipart Panda. Halo added.

9 Agent-Focused vs. Agent-Based Theories Agent-Focused vs. Agent-Based Theories What should we say about Foot s courageous burglar? Recall Foot: Courage is a virtue because it typically benefits its possessor and others. Courage is not operating as a virtue when the thief scales the building. If courage is typically connected with defective action in the thief, then courage is not a virtue in the burglar. Image credit: Clipart Panda. Halo added.

10 Agent-Focused vs. Agent-Based Theories Agent-Focused vs. Agent-Based Theories But What about somebody whose attempts at self-sufficiency are frustrated by disability? Slote: It is the person s motivations which are morally admirable. Even if the admirable motives are not typically connected with successful actions in her case. Even if her resulting frustration makes her own and others lives more difficult. Image credit: Masaccio 1427, photograph by Sara Hopkins 2012

11 Cool & Warm Cool & Warm Cool Agent-Based morality as inner strength self-sufficiency as self-reliance self-sufficiency as moderation & generosity courage (re. truth & danger) commitment & determination Warm Agent-Based morality as universal benevolence motive of universal beneficence NOT a matter of results motive itself is good not good because it results in helping behaviour morality as caring balance concern for self, concern for strangers & caring for particular others emphasise caring-for rather than being-cared-for

12 Cool & Warm Cool & Warm All 3 agent-based approaches: motives that matters morally. Motivations to be strong, to benefit others, to care for others etc. are ethically valuable. Their value is not a function of their results. They are not good because they motivate actions which benefit anybody, either their possessors or others. Nor are they good because they typically have such effects. Their ethical value is treated as basic. We just do, intuitively, regard such motives as good in this way (e.g ). And every ethical theory, in the end, relies on some such basic intuition.

13 Utilitarianism vs. Morality as Universal Benevolence Utilitarianism vs. Morality as Universal Benevolence Utilitarianism Very roughly, utilitarianism is the view that the right action is the one which will produce the greatest total happiness in the world. Universal benevolence is recommended as a goal. In the swimming example (93), swimming will result in more total happiness than helping the friend. Therefore, going swimming is the right thing to do. It is probably right to encourage benevolence because benevolent people will tend to promote happiness. But it you would create more happiness if you were cruel, rather than kind, then you should try to become cruel. (Maybe you are very bad at knowing what people will enjoy!)

14 Utilitarianism vs. Morality as Universal Benevolence Utilitarianism vs. Morality as Universal Benevolence Morality as universal benevolence In contrast, Slote suggests an approach which recommends universal benevolence as a motive. In the swimming example (93), the motive to help the friend is closer to universal benevolence than the motive to go swimming. Therefore, helping the friend is morally better than going swimming.

15 Utilitarianism vs. Morality as Universal Benevolence Utilitarianism vs. Morality as Universal Benevolence Recall Schneewind quoting Adam Smith (56): It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard for their own interest. Assume this is so. Then self-interest generally benefits both its possessor and others. Foot can still say self-interest is not a virtue because, although beneficial to self and others, it is not a corrective. But Slote can simply say that its beneficial effects are irrelevant to its status as a virtue: it is not a virtue because it is not an ethically admirable motive.

16 Thesis & Argumentation Thesis & Argumentation Question 1 All Groups Question 4: first objection Red Group Question 4: second objection Yellow Group Question 7: why is morality as caring a promising way to develop agent-based ethics? Blue Group Question 7: why is agent-basing a promising way to develop morality as caring? White Group

17 Thesis & Argumentation Thesis & Argumentation Question 1:

18 Thesis & Argumentation Thesis & Argumentation Question 4:

19 Thesis & Argumentation Thesis & Argumentation Question 7:

20 An Agent-Based Defence of Virtue Ethics An Agent-Based Defence of Virtue Ethics Recall one important objection to virtue ethics made by Schneewind: Virtue ethics can do little to resolve moral disagreements among persons with different moral perspectives. Moreover: Virtue-centred theories, unlike rule- or act-centred theories, do not help us to decide what to do when we don t know. You should do as the virtuous person would do. If I am virtuous, I don t need the theory; if I am not virtuous, the theory cannot help me.... Both problems arise from a lack of action guidance. Virtue ethics doesn t tell us what we should do and that, often, is what we need to know....

21 An Agent-Based Defence of Virtue Ethics An Agent-Based Defence of Virtue Ethics Image credit: Beauregard, 2014 Slote argues that: Agent-based virtue ethics can give us as much guidance as any other plausible theory. e.g. It can guide the woman on the way to the hospital... (98 99). Any lack of guidance is a function of uncertainties which any moral theory ought to recognise. i.e. No theory s guidance should outstrip our knowledge.