Mark M.

Gatus, LPT
Marck Zaldy O. Camba, LPT

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 Introduction

What Is This Module About?

Virtue ethics is currently one of three major approaches in normative ethics. It

may, initially, be identified as the one that emphasizes the virtues, or moral character, in
contrast to the approach that emphasizes duties or rules (deontology) or that emphasizes
the consequences of actions (consequentialism). It is primarily concerned with answering
the question, “what kind of person should I be?” it is more interested not with what
makes an act right, but with what makes a person good. Virtue ethics claims that we
cannot tell whether an act is right or wrong by just looking at or analyzing the act itself;
instead, we must focus on the person performing the act.

While doing what is right may be a part of what makes a good person good—after
all, you cannot be morally good while at the same time performing immoral actions—for
virtue ethicists, being a good person is more than doing what is right. An individual may
be seen to be actively involved in giving relief goods to calamity victims. However, if he
is doing such action in order to gain public mileage, which he believes will convince the
public to vote for him/her in the coming elections, we cannot consider his or her act as
praiseworthy. The point is in judging an act as either good or bad requires us to examine
the character and motives of the person who performed the act.

The starting point of virtue ethics is not the question of what acts are right or
wrong, but what characters are virtuous or vicious. The virtuous person is not simply one
who does the right act; rather, the virtuous person is one who consistently does right acts
for the right motives.

There are different versions of virtue ethics, this module, however, will focus on
the virtue ethics discussed by Aristotle.

Learning Objective

After completing the module, you will be able to:

• Articulate and appreciate the significance of Virtue Ethics in Character

Development

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 Activities

Let’s try this!

Direction: Answer the question below.

1. What is the importance of character in knowing and in doing the right or wrong?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Do you agree that being a good person is more than doing what is right? Justify
your answer.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Aristotelian Ethics
(The discussion is taken from the book of F.J. Evangelista and N. Mabaquiao Jr titled “Ethics: Theories
and Applications.)

Let’s Read!

Aristotle’s ethics is mainly derived from the philosophical treatise Nicomachean

ethics (so named because of his son Nicomachus is said to have edited the work after hi
father’s death). Aristotle opens his treatise on ethics with a definition of good: “Every art
and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good,
and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim”
(Aristotle, 1962, 1094a). whatever one seeks and pursues as worthwhile is, given that fact,
good.
Thus, there can be various things that can be considered good such as health,
power, victory and wealth. Aristotle then further inquires: “But what is it that we desire
for its own sake, an end which determines all other desires? What is intrinsically and
ultimately good, and not merely instrumental to some other good?”. Here, Aristotle
recognizes that a thing may be considered as good, but may be an instrumental good.
Money, for example, is an instrumental good for no one derives complete satisfaction in

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 gazing at money. But we desire money for the sense of security which it affords, or the
many things one can buy with it.

Eudaimonia
For Aristotle, the ultimate end of all human action is eudaimonia, which has been
roughly translated as happiness. Eudaimonia is also translated as “well-being”,
“flourishing”, or “living well”—which are said to be nearer to the Greek’s understanding
of the term.
No person tries to be happy for the sake of some further goal; rather, being
eudaemon is the ultimate end, and all other goals—fame, money, health—are sought
because they lead to happiness, not because they are what happiness consists in. but
unless we can determine which good or goods happiness consists in, it is of little use to
acknowledge that it is the highest end.
To resolve this, Aristotle (1962, 1097b) asks what is the proper function of a human
being. For Aristotle, the proper and peculiar end of human beings is to live a life in
accordance with reason. Although the life of human beings includes nutrition and
growth, this is something which they share with plants. Although they also have sense
perception and sensibility; it is something they have in common with animals. But what
is distinct to human beings is there is their unique capacity to reason and act on the basis
of reason.
Thus, if happiness lies on fulfilling one’s nature and function, the key to human
happiness is cultivating and enhancing our rational faculty, making it prevail over the
lower faculties of desire and passion.

Concept of Virtue
Aristotle said, “happiness consists in the activity of the soul in conformity with
virtue”. He believes that in order to live well, one must develop virtues. A virtuous life
enables the person to cultivate and fulfill his/her true nature which fructifies into
happiness.
Two categories of Virtue according to Aristotle (1962, 1103a)
1. Intellectual virtues: owes its origin and development chiefly to teaching. This
enables us to think rationally.
2. Moral virtues: formed by habit. This enables us to handle our desires and
emotions rationally.
In understanding the nature of virtue, it is important to note that virtue emanates
from the continuous, repeated practice of doing the right action. Aristotle stresses that
virtue is a state of character, and thus internally located. To have a certain character
demands that it becomes a part of one’s nature or personality, and thus can only be
acquired through time, by continuous performance of moral action.
While we see here the connection between virtue and moral action, nonetheless,
they are not identical. On the one hand, moral action is doing the right thing, to the right
person, at the right time, in the right manner, and to the right extent. On the other hand,
virtue demands that the right act flow effortlessly from the personality as its characteristic
trait. Given this distinction, it is possible for a person to do the right act without
necessarily being virtuous, just as it is possible for a virtuous person to succumb to an
immoral deed without forfeiting his virtuous nature.

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 Given that virtue is a state of character that has become deeply rooted in one’s
personality, acting in accordance with it must be natural and effortless. One is truly
virtuous when one experiences pleasure rather than pain when acting virtuously.

The Doctrine of the Mean

If virtue is a product of habit and is a characteristic trait the practice of which is
something we enjoy, how does it differ from vice, which is also acquired through habit
and is considered a trait from which people derive pleasure?
Virtue, according to Aristotle, is the mean between two extremes of our emotions
and desires, as well as the actions that they motivate. The undesirable character trait of
either the “extreme of excess” or the “extreme of deficiency” is what vice is. This notion
of virtue has come to be known as the doctrine of the mean.
Aristotle (1962, 1104a) says “excess as well as deficiency of physical exercise
destroys our strength, and similarly, too much and too little food and drink destroys our
health; the proportionate amount, however, produces, increases, and preserves it.
Each moral virtue is directed towards a specific range or spectrum of emotions,
desires, and actions. In the table that follows, Martin (2001, 48) summarizes the virtue
Aristotle discussed in his book with the corresponding extremes of excess and deficiency,
as well as the situation in which each virtue and their vices may manifest.

Sphere of Type of
Vice of too Virtue Vice of too little
Action: Kind of Emotion or
much (Excess) (Mean) (Deficiency)
Situation Attitude
Responses to Fear,
Foolhardiness Courage Cowardice
danger confidence
Satisfaction of Physical
Overindulgence Temperance Inhibition
appetites Pleasure
Desire to
Giving gifts Extravagance Generosity Miserliness
help
Pursuit of Desire to Vaulting Proper
Unambitiousness
accomplishments succeed ambition ambition
Appraisal of Self- Sense of
Vanity Proper pride
oneself confidence inferiority
Desire to be
Self-expression Boastfulness Truthfulness False modesty
recognized
Response to
Anger Irascibility Patience Apathy
insults
Attitudes to
Social conduct Obsequiousness Friendliness Rudeness
others
Awareness of
Shame Shyness Modesty Shamelessness
one’s flaws
Conversation,
Amusement Buffoonery Wittiness Boorishness
humor

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 Aristotle notes that the mean between extremes does not lie in the act, but is
relative to the moral agent. This means that what is excessive, deficient, and moderate
depends on the person.
Aristotle’s doctrine of the mean is an essential element in his idea that achieving
eudaimonia or well-being is a matter of living one’s life in accordance with reason.
Choosing the mean between extremes is the way for reason to control the excesses pf the
emotions and passions. Extreme types of behaviors are motivated by desire or feeling
without the benefit of thinking through the consequences of such action. As pointed by
Wall (2003), a life of moderation is not a life of safety or boredom, but a life where reason
is in control. Such a life enables one to live fully, that is to live as closely to the ideal of a
good life as possible.

Learning Output no. 7

INSTRUCTIONS

1. After reading the module, discuss significant ideas you have learned among the
member of the group.
2. Reflect and compose an essay paper to the case below written below;

One of the most important characteristics of an effective leader is treating

people equitably. This involves fairness and consistency, including regards to
applying the rules to everyone equally. Applying the notion of virtue ethics,
what should a coach do when a few superstar players get caught breaking rules
that should lead to their suspension from the team immediately before a big
game that is very important to the team?

3. Collaborate and brainstorm among your group members the situation given and
compose a 400 to 1000 words essay. If you have conflicting opinions and
disagreements, make sure that you will discuss them and decide who has a sound
or better opinion before writing the essay paper.
4. In writing, use Tahoma, Arial, or Times New Roman font style and use font size
12. Write your reflection paper on a short bond paper with a margin of 1 inch on
each side, single spacing.
5. Do not forget to write the members of the group. Write the name of the members
in alphabetical order. Take note that members of the group whose name is not
written will not earn any points from the score of the group.
6. After, turn-in your essay paper in our google classroom on or before the set
deadline of submission.

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department
 References

Mabaquiao, N., Jr., & Evangelista, F. (2020). Ethics: Theories and

Applications. Manila: Anvil Publishing.

__________. https://examples.yourdictionary.com/ethical-dilemma-
examples.html

Prepared by:
Mark M. Gatus & Marck Zaldy O. Camba
Faculty Members, BU Philosophy Department