Transcript Grasping Virtue Theory

Virtue Theory
Composed by:
Cole Garrow, Heydy Baca, Barb
Surwillo, Katie Johnson.
LP 5
March 25, 2008
Virtue Theory…
…the path to eudaimonia
Virtue & Ethics
► What
is ethical is what develops moral
virtues in ourselves and our communities
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/approach.html
http://www.scu.edu/ethicks/practicin/decision/ethicsandvirture.html
http://www.usafa.edu.isme/JSCOPE98/PFAFF98.htm
What’s a virtue?
Virtues are attitudes or character traits that
enable us to be and to act in ways that
develop our highest potential
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/thinking.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtue_ethics
Huh?
Some examples of virtue
that we can relate to:
•Honesty
•Courage
•Compassion
•Generosity
•Fidelity
•Integrity
•Fairness
•Self-Control
•Prudence
The bodhisattva of compassion;
one virtuous dude
Modern contributors to Virtue ethics
(below) Bernard Williams
(above) Alasdair Mcintyre
Alasdair McIntyre
► Moral
and political
Philosophy
► Importance of moral
goods
► Dialectic
► Moral Goods
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alasdair_MacIntyre
Bernard Arthur Owen Williams
• Supportive of Women
• Morality should be vital and compelling.
• “Analytic Philosopher”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Williams
Williams
► "Understands
what you're going to say
better than you understand it yourself, and
sees all the possible objections to it, all the
possible answers to all the possible
objections, before you've got to the end of
your sentence."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Williams
The shortcomings of virtue…

Unable to provide “action-guidance’. Does
not provide guidelines on how to behave.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue
Two good examples…
President George W. Bush and the Easter Bunny have
something in common besides warm blood and
bipedal movement…
In the best interests of virtue…
► No
formula for deciding conflict cases.
Honesty says to tell the hurtful truth,
kindness & compassion say to remain silent
or lie.
http://www.helium.com/items/880446-virtue-ethice-independent-moral
And another thing…

Virtue ethics leaves us hostage to luck.
Some may not receive help &
encouragement to attain moral maturity.
(and this is such an awesome segway)
Application of virtue theory to an
ethical dilemma
► Let’s
talk about the virtues (or lack of
virtues) of the Higher Education Act’s (HEA)
current policy when dealing with students
convicted of drug-related crimes.
Quick History
► The
HEA was signed into effect in 1965 by
President Lyndon B. Johnson
► In
1998, amendments attached to the HEA
made it much more difficult for people with
prior drug sale or possession offenses to
obtain any federal financial aid
http://ssdp.org
History
► In
2006, Congress revised the aid elimination
language to only exclude people who are
convicted of drug offenses while in school and
receiving financial aid…
► So,
Congress scaled it back so that taxpayers are
not ‘subsidizing substance abuse’ did they stop to
examine the virtue of only scaling it back that far?
The ‘virtue’ of a federal aid
elimination policy
► Taxpayers
are not subsidizing someone’s
addictions or exploitations.
► Federal aid is still available to those that
undergo an approved treatment program
► An up-front policy reduces the number of
potential applicants which will just serve to
bog down the system
More virtues of a federal aid
elimination policy
► Consistent
approach to controlled substance
enforcement policy.
► Reduces
the incidences of drug sale and
possession on college grounds
On and on
► Federal
aid elimination policy helps to
uphold virtues of prudence, self-control,
honesty and integrity in the student body…
► What
do you think happens when legislators
are acting ‘virtuously’ on behalf of special
interests and reactionary constituents?
So what would be some virtues of eliminating
the federal aid elimination language from
the HEA?
Virtue of elimination
► Fiscally
responsible; an educated workforce
earns more and pays more in taxes.
► Current
law serves as a double-punishment.
► Current
law does not address more-violent
or criminal acts.
http://ssdp.org
virtue virtue virtue
► Need-based
► Increased
eligibility unfairly discriminates.
criminality, recidivism.
► Causes
disengagement from community,
government.
► Punishes
http://ssdp.org
hard-working students
Name that virtue
►
By repealing the language that eliminates Federal aid to
drug offenders, what kinds of virtue would congress be
demonstrating?

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






Honesty
Courage
Compassion
Generosity
Fidelity
Integrity
Fairness
Self-control
Prudence
Review Questions
► What
are the strengths of the Virtue
Theory?
► What
are some applications to this theory?
► What
is the attraction to this theory?