The document discusses Aristotle's concept of virtue ethics. It explains that for Aristotle, achieving virtue and excellence as a human involves functioning according to reason. True virtue is developed over time through habituation, not instantly. There are two types of virtue - moral and intellectual. Moral virtue concerns actions and is developed through habit, while intellectual virtue involves knowledge and reasoning. Practical wisdom is an intellectual virtue that guides one's moral actions and choices. For Aristotle, virtue involves moderation between extremes of excess and deficiency, targeting the mean appropriate to each situation through practical wisdom.

1. FINAL
MODULE 54

2. VIRTUE ETHICS

3. Understand and internalize the principles of ethical
behavior in modern society at the level of the person,
society, and in interaction with the environment and other
shared resources.
Make sound ethical judgments based on principles, facts,
and the stakeholders affected
Develop sensitivity to the common good

14. One must understand that an individual does actions and pursuits
in life and correspondingly each of these activities has different
aims. Aristotle is aware that one does an act not only to achieve a
particular purpose but also believes such purpose can be utilized for
a higher goal or activity, which then can be used to achieve an even
higher purpose and so on. In other words, the different goods that
one pursues form a hierarchy of telos (plural form of telos)

16. What is the highest goal for Aristotle?
What goal is both final and self-
sufficient?

26. Achieving the highest purpose of a human person concerns the ability to function according to reason and to
perform an activity well or excellently. This excellent way of doing things is called virtue or arête by the Greeks.
Aristotle is quick to add that is virtue is something that one strives for in time. One does not become an
excellent person overnight.
“For one swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day; and so too one day, or a short time, does not
make a man blessed and happy”

28. Irrational Element
Vegetative soul
-the vegetative aspect functions as giving nutrition and
providing the activity of physical growth in a person
-the vegetative aspect of the soul follows the natural
processes involved in the physical activities and growth of
a person.
(this part of man is not in the realm where virtue is exercised because, as the term suggests, it cannot be dictated by
reason)
Appetitive soul
-it works as a desiring faculty of man.
-the act of desiring in itself is an impulse that naturally
runs counter to reasons and most of the time refuses to
go along with reason.

29. Rational Faculty
Moral
-concern the act of doing
Intellectual
- Concern the act of knowing
Knows what is right and wrong

30. One rational aspect where a person can attain
excellence is in the intellectual faculty of the soul. As
stated by Aristotle, this excellence is attained
through teaching. Through time, one learns form the
vast experiences in life where she gains knowledge
on these things. One learns and gains wisdom by
being taught or by learning.

31. There are two ways by which one can attain intellectual excellence:
Philosophic wisdom Practical wisdom
It deals with attaining knowledge about the
fundamental principles and truths that
govern the universe.
It helps one understand in general the
meaning of life.
It is an excellence in knowing the right conduct in
carrying out a particular act.
One can attain a wisdom that can provide us with a
guide on how to behave in our daily lives.
Although the condition of being excellent can be attained by a person through
the intellectual aspect of the soul, this situation does not make her into a morally
good individual. However, Aristotle suggest that although the rational functions of
a person (moral and intellectual) are distinct from each other, it is necessary for
human to attain the intellectual virtue of practical wisdom in order to accomplish
a morally virtuous act.

32. In carrying out a morally virtuous life, one needs the intellectual guide of
practical wisdom in steering the self toward the right choices and actions. Aristotle is
careful in making a sharp distinction between moral and intellectual virtue.
In itself, having practical wisdom or the excellence in knowing what to act upon
does not make someone already morally virtuous. Knowing the good is different from
determining and acting in what is good. But a morally good person has to achieve the
intellectual virtue of practical wisdom to perform the task of being moral.
This distinction draws a sharp contrast between Aristotle’s understanding of the
dynamics of knowledge and action from that of Socrates’s view that knowledge
already contains the ability of choice or action

34. It seems that for Socrates, moral goodness is already within the realm of
intellectual excellence. Knowing the good implies the ability to perform morally
virtuous acts. For Aristotle, however, having intellectual excellence does not
necessarily mean that one already has the capacity of doing the good. Knowing the
good that needs to be done is different from doing the good that one needs to
accomplish.
Therefore, rational faculty of a person tells us that she is capable of
achieving two kinds of virtue moral and intellectual. In discussing moral virtue,
Aristotle says that it is attained by means of habit. A morally virtuous man for
Aristotle is someone who habitually determines the good and does the right
actions. Moral virtue is acquired through habit. Being morally good is a process of
getting used to doing the proper act. The saying “practice makes perfect” can be
applied to this aspect of a person. Therefore, for Aristotle, a person is not initially
good by nature.

36. Developing a practical wisdom
involves learning from
experiences.
Knowledge is not inherent
to a person
Knowing the right thing to
do when one is confronted
by a choice is not easy.

37. One needs to develop this knowledge
by exercising the faculty of practical
reason in her daily life. In attaining
practical wisdom, she may initially
make mistakes on how reason is
applied to a particular moral choice or
action. But through these mistakes, she
will be able to sustain practical wisdom
to help steer another’s ability to know
morally right choices and action. In
other words, she is able to mature and
grow in her capacity on knowing what
to do and living a morally upright life.
This is why when it comes to life
choices, one can seek the advice of
elders in the community, those who
gained rich life experiences and
practical wisdom, because they would
be able to assist someone’s moral
deliberation. Parents can advice their
children how to behave in front of
family members and relatives. Senior
members of the community like
priests, counsellors, and leaders may
also guide the young members on
how relationships with others are
fostered.

38. Based on Aristotle, a morally virtuous person is
person is concerned with achieving her appropriate action
in a manner that is neither excessive nor deficient. In other
words, virtue is the middle or the intermediary point in
between extremes. One has to function in a state that her
personality manifest the right amount of feelings, passions,
and ability for a particular act. Generally, feelings and
passions are neutral which means that, in themselves, they
are neither morally right nor wrong. When one shows a
feeling of anger, we cannot immediately construe it as
morally wrong act. But the rightness or wrongness of
feelings, passions, and abilities lies in the degree of their
application in a given situation. It is right to get angry at an
offensive remark but it is not right to get angry at everyone
just because you were offended by someone. One can be
excessive in the manner by which she manifest these
feelings, passions, and abilities. But can also be deficient in
the way she express these

39. A morally virtuous person targets the mesotes. For Aristotle, the task of
targeting the mean is always difficult because every situation is different from one
another. Thus, the mesotes is constantly moving depending on the circumstance
where she is in. The mean is not the same for all individuals. As pointed out by
Aristotle , the mean is simply an arithmetical proportion. Therefore, the task of being
moral involves seriously looking into and understanding a situation and assessing
properly every particular detail relevant to the determination of the mean. One can be
angry with someone, but the degree and state of anger depends accordingly with the
nature of the person she is angry with. The aid of reason dictates how humans should
show different anger toward a child and a mature individual. Mesotes determines
whether the act applied is not excessive or deficient. Likewise, an individual cannot be
good at doing something haphazardly but reason demands a continuous habituation
of a skill to perfect an act. Targeting the middle entails being immersed in a moral
circumstance, understanding the experience, and eventually, developing the
knowledge of identifying the proper way or the mean to address a particular situation.

40. Moral virtue is firstly the condition arrived at by a person who has a character identified out of her
habitual exercise of particular actions. One’s character is seen as a growth in terms of the continuous preference
of the good. Secondly, in moral virtue, the action done that normally manifest feelings and passions is chosen
because it is the middle. The middle does not fail short or is exercise of the proper proportion by which these
feelings or passion should be expressed. Aristotle adds that the middle is relative to us. This does not imply that
mesotes totally depends in what the person identifies as the middle. Such case would signify that Aristotle
adheres to relativism. But Aristotle’s middle is not relative to the person but to the situation and the circumstance
that once is in. This means that in choosing the middle o

41. Excess Middle Deficiency
Impulsiveness
“they act on instinct, without thinking
decisions through”
Self-control
“the ability to control oneself, in
particular one's emotions and desires
or the expression of them in one's
behavior, especially in difficult
situations.”
Indecisiveness
“not settling an issue.”
Recklessness
“lack of regard for the danger or
consequences of one's actions;
rashness.”
Courage
“the ability to do something that
frightens one.”
Cowardice
“lack of bravery”
Prodigality
“Extravagant spending”
Liberality
“the quality of giving or spending
freely.”
Meanness
“unkindness, spitefulness, or
unfairness.”