Transcript Philosophy 220

Virtue Theories and Adultery
Character vs. Acts
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Though historically speaking, Virtue Ethics is
the first systematic, philosophical ethical
position, it had until somewhat recently been
pushed aside by the other ethical theories
we’ve studied.
One reason for this is that these other theories
have focused our attention on the ethical
evaluation of acts, while VE focuses on
character.
There are lots of (not necessarily all good)
reasons to prefer the former.
An Ethic of Virtue
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The lack of attention (until recently) paid to VE
has the result that there is still a great deal of
disagreement about the basic structure of VE.
We can say a few basic and uncontentious
things about such theories.
The first and most important one is the VE
reverses the tendency that we’ve seen in other
ethical theories and makes the concepts of
virtue and vice basic.
 Right and Wrong become derivative concepts.
Virtue and Vice
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Virtue: “a trait of character or mind that
typically involves dispositions to act, feel,
and think in certain ways and that is central
to a positive evaluation of persons” (24).
 Honesty, Courage, Justice, Temperance, Beneficence
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Vice: “a trait of character or mind that
typically involves dispositions to act, feel
and think in certain ways, and that is
central to a negative evaluation of persons”
(24).
 Dishonesty, Cowardice, Injustice, Intemperance, Selfishness
A TRC for Virtue Ethics
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On the basis of the distinction between virtues and
vices, it is possible to articulate a general TRC for
VE.
 An action is right iff it is what a virtuous agent (acting in
character) would not avoid doing in the circumstances
under consideration.
If a virtuous agent would do it, the action is
obligatory; if they might do it, the action is
permissible; if they wouldn’t do it, the action is
forbidden.
 “Acting in character” points to the concept of
“practical wisdom” and the significance of moral
judgment/intuition for VE.
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Advantages of VE
It is consistent with our moral intuition that
there may be more than one right answer
in the face of a moral dilemma.
 It is not inconsistent with our conviction that
traits of character are importantly out of our
control, inasmuch as they are influences by
genetics and circumstance.
 It encourages us to take a holistic view of
our moral circumstances.
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Disadvantages?
What about the virtues and vices
themselves?
 Who is a virtuous agent?
 How do we know if they are “acting in
character?”
 What if we lack a virtuous character?
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VE and Adultery
At first glance, we might wonder why Halwani
chooses VE as a context to evaluate the moral
status of adultery.
 All of the other theories we have considered seem
to have a ready answer to supply.
 In response to Richard Taylor’s story about the
unhappy couple, Halwani identifies two
perspectives from which VE can say something
important and distinct about adultery.
 The nature of love.
 The nature of the virtuous person.
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Love and Adultery
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In the first instance, Halwani points to the fact that
adultery violates the bonds of love as the source
of its wrongness.
 Is this a VE approach?
Though she acknowledges the disconnect
between sex and love, she insists that the
disconnect is not as absolute as we sometimes
believe.
 Adultery almost inevitable leads to emotional
betrayal and hurt.
 As such, fidelity in an appropriate ideal in
marriage.
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Would the Phronimos commit Adultery?
On the assumption that fidelity is the ideal,
then clearly the virtuous agent would be
faithful. Not only this, but they would
presumably work to foster the emotional
structures which Adultery threaten.
 Though we may not be by nature
monogamous, VE’s TRC says that we
should be.
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The Relationship of the Virtues
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VE is supposed to put the virtues first and then
derive judgments about actions later, but Halwani
starts with types of actions and then moves to the
virtues.
However, in her discussion of various types of
failures to conform to the ideal of fidelity, she does
point to something fundamental.
All of the virtues are connected. For VE, it’s an all
or nothing affair. Lacking one or more of the
virtues make it impossible to act virtuously in all
instances.