CUA Wk 5 The Perspective of Aristotle on Performing Virtuous Actions Discussion Please respond to 3 threads ( As if you directly talk to them)Comments: In
CUA Wk 5 The Perspective of Aristotle on Performing Virtuous Actions Discussion Please respond to 3 threads ( As if you directly talk to them)Comments:
In addition to posting your own questions and offering tentative
answers, you must respond to at least three postings by classmates. The
goal is to have a sustained, asynchronous conversation that develops
your reasoning skills and improves your comprehension of the positions
and arguments you are studying. Grading Rubric for Discussion Board
Highest Possible Score: 5/5
Approximate correlations: 5 = A; 4 = B; 3 = C; 2 = D; 1 = F
1) Sources: comprehension and effective engagement
3 pts.
3: Comments demonstrate excellent comprehension of assigned sources
and engage them effectively.
2: Comments demonstrate moderate, but not excellent, comprehension
of assigned sources and engage them somewhat effectively.
1: Comments demonstrate only minimal comprehension and/or
engagement with assigned sources.
0: Comments demonstrate no comprehension or engagement with
assigned sources.
2) Originality
2 pts.
2: Students comments present theses, arguments, and objections that
are not readily derivable from the assigned readings.
1: Theses, arguments, and objections presented are partially derivable
from the assigned readings.
0: Theses, arguments, and objections presented are entirely derivable
from the assigned readings.
Thread 1: Evan Rothkoff
Nicomachean Ethics Book II
What is the difference, according to Aristotle, between performing virtuous actions and being a
virtuous person? Do you agree with him that the latter is more valuable? (EL pp. 154)
Aristotle holds the belief that all men are born with the potentiality to be virtuous, but not the
actuality. The two virtues, intellectual and moral, exist with the first being taught and the second
being practiced in the same way that a lyre player would become better at music. Virtuous
actions, such as those of courage, temperance, generosity, and justice, have certain stipulations
attached to them. It is not enough for someone to do an act that many deem to be virtuous in
Aristotle’s view. Performing what is recognized as a virtuous act does not necessarily make it
virtuous. Before something can be virtuous, it must pass three requirements. First, the person
doing the act must have knowledge that what he or she is doing is indeed virtuous. Second, the
act must be done for its own sake. This refers to the notion that the virtuous act is being done for
no other reason than because it is virtuous. There is no ulterior motive or intended gain to be had
other than it being virtuous in its own right. Finally, the act must “proceed from a firm and
unchanging character.” The person doing this act must be virtuous before doing the act and just
as virtuous after the act. Actions are virtuous because they are what a virtuous person would do,
but the virtuous person does those “as just and temperate men do them.” By principle I agree
with Aristotle’s belief that being a virtuous person is far more important than performing virtuous
acts. According to him, being a virtuous person will always bring about virtuous acts whereas
happening to perform a virtuous act does not guarantee such a thing.
Interestingly as a side note, Aristotle’s three pre-requisites to being a virtuous person remind me
much of Kant’s commentary on morality based on intent.
Thread 2: Emma Heiser
Do virtue ethics demand too much of us? Why or why not (FE 275)
Russ Shafer Landau believes that there is not one specific answer to this question and that there
are many factors that contribute to an answer. One is the way you were raised. If you were
raised to take drastic measures, like a hunger strike, to achieve what you want, then a hunger
strike would seem less drastic than someone who was raised to not take risks, which is
logical. Most things in life, like pain, for example, are all relative, and this is the same. The
same logic is applied with Shafer Landaus second factor: popularity. A public figure, like
Gandhi, would have more of a chance of their strike being recognized and their mets being made
than someone less famous, like you or me. For the lesser-known people, virtue ethics would
demand too much, as their efforts would have minimal payoff. Overall, virtue ethics demands
too much from some but does not for others.
Thread 3: Gabriel Bahia De Sousa
5. Does virtue ethics demand too much of us? Why or why not?
Virtue ethics is a branch of ethics that emphasizes character, and how individuals act. It is less
focused on rules of how to act to do the right thing, but actually just being a good person. That
being said, virtue ethics expects us to act as a good people and the right actions will come
consequently, making us virtuos, but is that too much to ask of a human? We know that the
world is not a perfect place, and that many times doing the wrong thing might be a shortcut to
what you desire, however, many of us dont act upon that because of consequences. Imagine you
could rob a bank, no one would know it was you and there would be no direct consequences to
your action, only that the people you robbed would have less money. For a person to be
considered virtuous they would have to not only choose to not rob the bank, but also not be
tempted to do it. A person who wants to rob the bank but ends up doing the right thing has a
strong will but is not exactly virtuous.
So, is this too much to demand of us? Well, we grow up listening to things like nobody is
perfect and we all make mistakes which almost romanticizes mistakes. In my opinion being
completely virtuous is a very hard task, close to impossible, however we all have virtuous
moments where we do the right thing because its the right thing to do. That being said, virtue
ethics also includes an assumption that humans have a fixed nature or essence to be virtuous,
which would probably be corrupted over time. That would make it so that we shouldnt try to be
virtuous, we should just try to be the purest version of ourselves.
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