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Aristotle and Augustine's Perspectives on Virtue, Happiness, and Morality, Study notes of Ethics

Carroll CollegeEthics

The philosophical views of aristotle and augustine on virtue, happiness, and morality. Aristotle believes virtue is a state of character concerned with choice, and happiness comes from virtuous actions. Augustine emphasizes good intentions leading to good results. The concepts of gain and loving, honor and loving, wisdom loving, and the role of reason and rationalism. It also touches upon the topics of pride, intention vs. Action, and the importance of moderation.

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2010/2011

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Exam 1
2. Wisdom-loving, Honor-loving, Gain-loving souls.
Honor-loving – The main objective of this soul is reputation. Part of the honor-loving soul is that
as a child, you come to understand that shame comes from the honor-loving soul.
Gain-loving – The main objective of this soul is satisfying desires.
Wisdom-loving – this is the only soul that is actually the happiest. The main objective of this
soul is knowledge. He sees the pragmatic view of all things, such as you only need money to get
things, and that money should not be a desire. People want the wisdom-loving to be the greatest
part of their soul. These are the people who should be in power because they are not arrogant or
stupid, like the gain-loving and honor-loving souls are.
Wisdom experiences the greatest amount of happiness because they have the ability to reason. It
also questions all things and seeks the truth in all matters. It has knowledge of the other aspects
of the soul (gain and honor) and understands that they are not the greatest end for the soul, but
instead, wisdom is the greatest of all.
-2 3 Parts: Gain and Loving - satisfy desires
Honor Loving - reputation
Wisdom Loving - wants knowledge and to question
Wisdom loving is happiest because it has experienced both honor and gain and loving
and have the knowledge of what is best and when it is best. They see the truth in
everything. The can see the other souls as what they are. They are also able to spread
knowledge.
Rationalism vs. Reason
Gain and Loving rationalizes
Wisdom Loving Reasons
Wisdom Loving doesn't need laws. If you are not wisdom loving, you should be slave
to wisdom loving.
4. Aristotle believes that virtue is a state of character concerned with choice between too
much and too little. It's a complex emotional and physical response to things. Virtue cannot be
learned, it has practiced and trained through experience and understanding. Virtue is understood
by doing and enjoying virtuous things, and then you will have enjoyment by being a virtuous
man. Aristotle believes you should be trying to reach your fullest potential. The virtuous man
should do to the best of his abilities, but do not perform the virtuous act in excess, but with
moderation. Part of it is that you have to know your personal means.
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Exam 1

  1. Wisdom-loving, Honor-loving, Gain-loving souls. Honor-loving – The main objective of this soul is reputation. Part of the honor-loving soul is that as a child, you come to understand that shame comes from the honor-loving soul. Gain-loving – The main objective of this soul is satisfying desires. Wisdom-loving – this is the only soul that is actually the happiest. The main objective of this soul is knowledge. He sees the pragmatic view of all things, such as you only need money to get things, and that money should not be a desire. People want the wisdom-loving to be the greatest part of their soul. These are the people who should be in power because they are not arrogant or stupid, like the gain-loving and honor-loving souls are. Wisdom experiences the greatest amount of happiness because they have the ability to reason. It also questions all things and seeks the truth in all matters. It has knowledge of the other aspects of the soul (gain and honor) and understands that they are not the greatest end for the soul, but instead, wisdom is the greatest of all. -2 3 Parts: Gain and Loving - satisfy desires Honor Loving - reputation Wisdom Loving - wants knowledge and to question Wisdom loving is happiest because it has experienced both honor and gain and loving and have the knowledge of what is best and when it is best. They see the truth in everything. The can see the other souls as what they are. They are also able to spread knowledge. Rationalism vs. Reason Gain and Loving rationalizes Wisdom Loving Reasons Wisdom Loving doesn't need laws. If you are not wisdom loving, you should be slave to wisdom loving.
  2. Aristotle believes that virtue is a state of character concerned with choice between too much and too little. It's a complex emotional and physical response to things. Virtue cannot be learned, it has practiced and trained through experience and understanding. Virtue is understood by doing and enjoying virtuous things, and then you will have enjoyment by being a virtuous man. Aristotle believes you should be trying to reach your fullest potential. The virtuous man should do to the best of his abilities, but do not perform the virtuous act in excess, but with moderation. Part of it is that you have to know your personal means.

EX: Aristotle – page 10, top right paragraph

    1. Virtuous people seek the moderate act (not too little, not too much) Work as hard as you can without going overboard. Standards are set by wises person, but the mean is not the same for everyone. You can only be virtuous by choice and your state of character will follow your choice if you find pleasure in virtuous acts. Your character will be conditioned to choose to be virtuous without having to consciously choose. You can't LEARN to be virtuous, you have to be TRAINED by experience You are only virtuous after death. You eventually become happy doing virtuous things.
  1. The worst thing that Augustine did at 16 was stealing the pears. The reason that this was worse than what Cataline did was because Augustine knew that what he was doing was wrong, and his did it anyways, whereas Cataline was doing something that he believed was good, but instead was horribly wrong. The intentions of each are what make Augustine's actions worse than Cataline. For Augustine, the good intentions of man with bad results are more significant that the bad intentions with good results. The best result is good intentions with good results. Cataline was an aristocrat and captain of a legion that attempted to take over Rome and failed horribly. To be too prideful means that your moral system is higher than the one that God set. God has the highest morality, so if our belief is that our moral system is greater than God's moral system is the opposite of morality. There is the pride 'of God' and there is the pride 'over God', and the latter is the one that all man should avoid. Pride drives us to lie, exaggerate, or one-up your fellow man.
  1. Worst thing: Steal the pears. He did not need or even want the pears He desired to be worse than he was for approval of his friends. Worse than Cateline (Captain of a legion who attempted to take over Rome) Cateline THOUGHT he was doing good when he took over Rome. Augustine KNEW he was doing bad when he took the pears. Intention vs. Action Pride is the root of all immorality We invert the value system of God We put our value system above God and therefore believe you are better than God Putting yourself above God is immoral Pride also drives us to lie for honor. Lying is the worse and will damage the soul because you knowingly turn from the truth.

Plato and Aristotle believe Civil Law should impose morality in society (Government should impose morality) Abelard believes maintaining order determines order, not morality. Thoughts are judged by God; Society judges your actions.

  1. Murphy says that vindictiveness, or the want to get revenge, is OK in moderation. Aristotle agrees with this concept of moderation, and vindictiveness is part of that moderation. Murphy believes that if it doesn't hurt anyone's life, then vindictiveness is fine.
  2. Vindictiveness in moderation - right time, right place Defect: lower self-esteem Excess: Allow vindictiveness to consume you It's a natural human desire and something people in society generally like. Aristotelian virtue because most people get it right most of the time. So since most people value vindictiveness to promote self-esteem, it must be valuabl

Exam 2

2. Life would be horrible if you live in the state of nature because you would be in a constant state of war. Violence is rational when you act by self-interest. In the state of nature, nothing is right/wrong or just/unjust due to unlimited liberty. No one is going to live long because everyone would be at war. It becomes in your interest to form a community so that you can enjoy what you want. We seek peace, while maintaining the ability and right to defend yourself. When creating contracts, you must give up some civil liberties. We hold up our end to contracts because the fear of the penalty is greater than the interest towards breaking the covenant. You must make it in your interest to not break the covenant. (People always do what is in their best interest, so you can't just trust people to hold up their end of the covenant) Automatically invalid if: 1. Death is guaranteed- you must enjoy the benefit. You can sign a contract that has death as a risk, but not if it guarantees death. 2. No way to enforce the contract. 3. Both reason and sentiment -Reason is there to find out what is beneficial -Sentiment is there to find out what gives good feelings or bad feelings -Reason + Sentiment = beneficial activities that also gives good feelings to find out what will work in the future. Reason can't be alone because reason is just based on what happens when. There are no moral facts in reason. Sentiment can't be alone because some things that seem good (based on emotion) can lead to bad things in the future. Emotion is what decides what is currently fair, but emotion and reason decides what is just in the long run. If people generally find it beneficial, it is just. If people generally find it not beneficial, it is unjust. It's ok to change what is just when the situation changes. What is just is not an absolute. It is based on what emotion tells us is beneficial and useful. Reason discovers factual truth, emotion kicks in appropriately in natural response.

-charity if it is only increasing quality of life. (still good but not necessary) Distance/Location does not matter -We already feel it is our duty to help someone we see is drowning in front of us. We should feel the same way about someone who is dying in Japan or starving in Africa. If we use excess money on simple pleasures that do not equal someone's life, then we are killing them by not giving them the money. We are then immoral.

Final exam review Part 1: New questions for the final

  1. In three places Kant explains why a lying promise is wrong or immoral. Each argument is different. Explain each argument in detail. a. It is a duty not to deceive others. b. It is a maxim that a lying promise is wrong. c. A lying promise is a violation of the principle of humanity (Ends vs. means) For duty: There is duty by conformity (shop keeper) vs. duty by principle of honesty.( Doing it with good will, because you want to. With good intentions. Propositions of Duty: ?????????? 1. an action gains its moral worth by duty, not inclination (liking)
    1. you must be able to apply your duty to each particular situation. DEFINITION DUTY 3. Duty is the necessity of acting from respect for the law. Laws of morality: determine this and then it is your duty to follow it. For Maxims:
    2. A form, consisting in universality. Universal: apply to all people no matter what
    3. A matter (and end): conditional, must identify a goal.
    4. Coherant with other maxims: harmonize with a kingdom of ends. Discover it and not make it up) KANTS DEF. OF AUTONOMY IS----- THE ABILITY TO CHOSE THE RIGHT THING FOR OURSELVES USING RATIONALITY AND REASONABILITY WITHIN THE MORAL CONFINES?
  • TRULY AUTONOMOUS IF FREELY CHOSE THE RIGHT THING. For Principle of Humanity: Must treat people as an ends within themselves. Must respect autonomy - can't use people as tools. Mean= a way to get something, end= goal Treating someone as an end respects autonomy. ---- if it does not respect autonomy it is not a good maxim
  1. What are the 2 formulations of the categorical imperative? For each explain in detail why following this imperative will assure you that your action is moral.
    1. Maxims must apply to all (universal). Must fit with other maxims.—act only on a maxim that is universal/ everyone should abide by it. Moral because everyone is doing

Some inequalities make us better off, but opportunity must be available to all. If it was all equal, then there is no incentive to do anything like be a brain surgeon. Reflects self interest: It is our rational self interest to protect ourselves. We are not risk takers behind the veil of ignorance because we don't know where we stand. Protection: For the first, it protects the people at the bottom. Without it, they end up with nothing; with it, they are still better off despite being at the bottom. For the second, it gives incentive for people to excel in their fields, like being a brain surgeon.

  1. According to Rawls, what is the veil of ignorance? What don't we know and why would principles chosen behind the veil of ignorance be fair and not utilitarian? The veil of ignorance is a hypothetical agreement used to form rules (mythical state- how we come up with moral code) (take yourself out of self/society/ become unbiased) ( do not know anything about ourselves, don’t know personality/race/ sex/age/gender/ status. Conception of goods/ what we value/ anything that would privilege that person) that insures that no one is advantaged or disadvantaged in the choice of principles by the outcome of natural chance or the contingency of social circumstances. We must agree on basic system of justice. This agreement is unbiased, and you know facts, but you don't know your own wants. You are "ignorant" of what privileges you. You don't know your conception of the good. This is because people have different value systems. The principles chosen are fair, not utilitarian. It is fair because of hypothetical consent: even if you are the most miserable when the veil of ignorance if gone, you still believe the system is fair. Person at the bottom is still better off than in a utilitarian society. It is not utilitarian because utilitarians sacrifice for the better of all, while behind the veil of ignorance does not sacrifice because we are not risk takers and do not know if we are the one being sacrificed.
  2. Rawls thinks that Kant did not understand what autonomy really is. Why does Rawls think that justice as fairness respects autonomy but the categorical imperative does not? Kant believes there is only one value system is correct. Rawls believes you choose your own value system for autonomy. Justice as fairness respects autonomy because you have the ability to choose for yourself. Explain how veil of ignorance makes things fair.

Categorical imperative does not respect autonomy because you're forced to choose only one value system. It's not really a choice. For example: if you are in a locked room, you may want to leave, but you cannot choose to because even if you try you can't get out.

  1. On page 22-23 Rand describes seven virtues. Explain each in great detail.
    1. Rationality: source for all other virtues. This is because irrationality is the rejection of man's means of survival.
    2. Independence: One's acceptance of the responsibility of forming one's own judgements and of living by the work of one's own mind.
    3. Integrity: One must never sacrifice one's convictions to the opinion or wishes of others.
    4. Honesty: One must never attempt to fake reality in any manner.
    5. Justice: One must never seek or grant the unearned and undeserved, neither in matter nor in spirit.
    6. Productiveness: the recognition of the fact that productive work is the process by which man's mind sustains his life.
    7. Pride: "moral ambitiousness" - one must earn the right to hold oneself as one's own highest value by achieving one's own moral perfection. Moral perfection: Never accepting any code of irrational virtues impossible to practice Never failing to practice the virtues one knows to be rational Never accepting an unearned guilt and never earning any Never resigning oneself passively to any flaws in one's character Never placing any concern, wish, fear, or mood of the moment above the reality of one's own self-esteem.