ethics

MODULE 4
Virtue Ethics

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Virtue Ethics
Learning Outcome
As you journey on this lesson, you are expected to:

Create a unique slogan/quote which reflects the essence of the topic “Virtue Ethics”.

Learning Objectives
a. discuss the meaning and basic principles of virtue ethics
b. distinguish the virtuous acts from non-virtuous acts
c. apply Aristotle’s ethics in understanding the Filipino character

Focus Questions:
1. What is moral virtue? What is intellectual virtue?
2. What is the difference between moral and intellectual virtue?
3. Identify some Filipino traits and categorize each as virtue (middle) or vices
(excess or deficiency?
4. How is a person’s character formed according to Aristotle?

Let’s Discover!

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
VIRTUE ETHICS
Introduction

An online news account narrates key officials from both the legislative and executive
branches of the government voicing out their concern on the possible ill effects of too much
violence seen by children on television. The news estimates that by the time children reach 18 years
old, they will have watched around 18,000 simulated murder scenes. This prompted then-
Department of Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro to launch the implementing guidelines of
the Children's Television Act of 1997 in order to regulate television shows and promote more child-
friendly programs. Ultimately, for Bro. Luistro, to regulate television programs would help in the
development of children's values.
According to the news article, the Department of Education held a series of consultations
with various stakeholders to address the issue of exposure of children to TV violence. They also
implemented the rules and guidelines for viewing safety and created a television violence rating
code to be applied in all TV programs. Lastly, they also set 15% of television airtime for shows
conducive to children.
Luistro's claim seems to be based on a particular vision of childhood development. Children
at a young age have not yet achieved full personal growth and mental development. This situation
makes them particularly vulnerable to possible undesirable effects of seeing violent images
presented on television. When they see violence on television on a regular basis, they may consider
such violent acts as “normal” and part of the daily occurrences in life. Much worse is that they
might tend to believe that such acts, since committed by adults, are permissible. In these situations,
the saying "Life imitates art" unfortunately becomes uncomfortably true.
There have been numerous studies on the effects of television violence on children. The
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, for instance, enumerated the harmful
effects of television violence such as being insensitive to the possible ill consequences brought
about by watching violent shows. The study also suggests that children exposed to television
violence begin to imitate “what they observe and consider violence as “a way to solve problems”.

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
Mature individuals are aware that it is vital for children to go through the process of
building their personality, identity, or character. How does the continuous exposure to violence
on television affect the character that children develop? Is it possible that constant watching of
violence on television results in aggression among children? What is the role of the child's
environment in her capacity to develop into a good individual? These questions are real
concerns that society needs to address. Perhaps, it is best to look closely at how good moral
character is developed among individuals. What elements are involved in order to achieve this?
One theory that can possibly provide a comprehensive understanding of how an individual can
develop moral character is virtue ethics.
Virtue ethics is the ethical framework that is concerned with understanding the good as
a matter of developing the virtuous character of a person. Previous chapters emphasized
different aspects of ethics: consequences of an act for utilitarianism, natural inclinations for
natural law, and autonomy for deontology. Virtue ethics, on the other hand, focuses on the
formation of one's character brought about by determining and doing virtuous acts. The two
major thinkers of Ancient Greece, Plato and Aristotle, had discourses Aristotle(384-322 BCE)
entitled Nicomachean Ethics is the first concerning virtue. But Aristotle's book entitled
Aristotle's Nicomachean is the first to comprehensive and programmatic study of virtue ethics.
Aristotle was born in Macedonia and studied philosophy under Plato in Athens. He was
considered to be the brightest among Plato's students in the former's school, the Academy. He
later founded his own school, Lyceum, where he became a very productive intellectual, having
written numerous works on different topics such as the theoretical and practical sciences, and
logic. He was also known to be the tutor of Alexander the Great who tried to conquer the
world. Aristotle's the Ethics is his major work in moral philosophy.
Aristotle's discourse of ethics departs from the Platonic understanding of reality and
conception of the good. Both Plato and Aristotle affirm rationality as highest faculty of a
person and having such Nicomachean characteristic enables a person to realize the very
purpose of her existence. end, they differ in their appreciation of reality and nature, which, in
turn, results in their contrasting stand on what the ethical principle should be.

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
For Plato, the real is outside the realm of any human sensory experience but can
somehow be grasped by one's intellect. The truth and, ultimately, the good are in the sphere
of forms or ideas transcending daily human condition. On the other hand, for Aristotle, the
real is found within our everyday encounter with objects in the world. What makes nature
intelligible is its character of having both form and matter. Therefore, the truth and the good
cannot exist apart from the object and are not independent of our experience.
When one speaks of the truth, for example, how beautiful Juan Luna's Spoliarium is,
she cannot discuss its beauty separately from the particular painting itself. Same is true with
understanding the good: the particular act of goodness that one does in the world is more
important than any conception of the good that is outside and beyond the realm of experience.
One sees the ethical theory of Aristotle as engaging the good in our day-to-day living.
Happiness and Ultimate Purpose
Aristotle begins his discussion of ethics by showing that every act that a person does
is directed toward a particular purpose, aim, or what the Greeks called telos. There is a
purpose why one does something, and for Aristotle, a person's action manifests a good that
she aspires for. Every pursuit of a person hopes to achieve a good. One eats for the purpose of
the good that it gives sustenance to the body. A person pursues a chosen career, aiming for a
good, that is, to provide a better future for her family. A person will not do anything which is
not beneficial to her. Even a drug user "thinks" that substance abuse will cause her good. This
does not necessarily mean that using drugs is good but a "drug addict" would want to believe
that such act is good. Therefore, for Aristotle, the good is considered to be the telos or
purpose for which all acts seek to achieve.
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 teloi (plural form of
telos).

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
Aristotle says: 。。。But a certain difference is found among ends; some are activities, others
are products apart from the activities that produce them. Where there are ends apart from the actions,
it is the nature of the products to be better than the activities. Now, as there are many actions, arts,
and sciences, their ends also are many; the end of the medical art is health, that of shipbuilding a
vessel, that of strategy victory, that of economics wealth. But where such arts fall under a single
capacity-as bridle-making and the other arts concerned with the equipment of horses fall under the art
of riding, and this and every military action under strategy, in the same way other arts fall under yet
others-in all of these, the ends the master arts are to be preferred to all the subordinate ends; for it is
for the sake of the former that the latter is pursued.

When one diligently writes down notes while listening to a lecture the given by the teacher,
she does this for this purpose of being able to remember the lessons of the course. This purpose of
remembering, in turn, becomes an act to achieve a higher aim which is to pass the examinations given
by the teacher, which then becomes a product that can help the person attain the goal of having a
passing mark in the course. It is important for Aristotle that one becomes a clear of the hierarchy of
goals that the different acts produce in order for a person to distinguish which actions are higher than
the other.
With the condition that there is a hierarchy of telos, Aristotle then asks about t highest
purpose, which is the ultimate good of a human being. Aristotle discusses the general criteria in order
for one to recognize the highest good of man. First, the highest good of a person must be final. As a
final end, it is no longer utilized for the sake of arriving at a much higher end. In our example above,
the purpose of remembering the lessons in the course, that is why one writes down notes, is not the
final end because it is clear that such purpose is aimed at achieving a much higher goal. Second, the
ultimate telos of a person must be self-sufficient. Satisfaction in life is arrived at once this highest
good is attained. Nothing else is sought after and desired, once this self-sufficient goal is achieved,
since this is already considered as the best possible good in life. Again, in the example given above
the goal of remembering the lessons in the course is not yet the best possible good because a person
can still seek for other more satisfying goals in her life.
So what is the highest goal for Aristotle? What goal is both final and self-sufficient? It is
interesting to note that for Aristotle, the question can only be adequately answered by older
individuals because they have gone through enormous and challenging life experiences which helped
them gain a wealth of knowledge on what the ultimate purpose of a person is. According to Aristotle,
older individuals would agree that the highest purpose and the ultimate good of man is happiness, or
for the Greeks, eudemonia.

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Aristotle says:
Now, such a thing happiness, above all else, is held to be; for this we choose
always for itself and never for the sake of something else, but honor, pleasure, reason,
and every virtue we choose indeed for themselves (for if nothing resulted from them we
should still choose each of them), but we choose them also for the sake of happiness,
judging that by means of them we shall be happy. Happiness, on the other hand, no one
chooses for the sake of these, nor, in general, for anything other than itself.4

One can therefore say that happiness seems to fit the first criterion of being the final end
of a human being. For it is clear that conditions for having wealth, power, and pleasures are not
chosen for themselves but for the sake of being a means to achieve happiness. If one
accumulates wealth, for example, she would want to have not just richness but also power and
other desirable things as well, such as honor and pleasures. But all of these ends are ultimately
for the sake of the final end which is happiness. In itself, happiness seems to be the final end and
the highest good of a person since no other superior end is still being desired for.
Aristotle continues in saying that happiness is also the self-sufficient end. He
says: 。。
... Let us examine this question, however, on another occasion; the self-sufficient we now
define as that which when isolated makes life desirable and lacking in nothing; and such we
think happiness to be; and further we think It most desirable of all things, without being counted
as one good thing among others-If it were so counted, it would clearly be made more desirable
by the addition of even the least of goods; for that which is added becomes an excess of goods,
and of goods, the greater is always more desirable.5

Happiness for Aristotle is the only self-sufficient aim that one can aspire for. No amount
of wealth or power can be more fulfilling than having achieved the condition of happiness. One
can imagine a life of being wealthy, powerful, and experiencing pleasurable feelings and yet,
such life is still not satisfying without happiness. Once happiness is achieved, things such as
wealth, power, and pleasurable feelings just give value-added benefits in life. The true measure
of well-being for Aristotle is not by means of richness or fame but by the condition of having
attained a happy life.

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
Even though older individuals agree that happiness is the highest end and good that
humans aspire for, there are various opinions on what specifically is the nature of the ultimate
telos of a person. One is that happiness is attached with having wealth and power. Others
associate happiness with feelings that are pleasurable. Some take nobler things like honor and
other ideals as constitutive of happiness. For Aristotle, arguing for or against every opinion
proves to be a futile attempt to arrive at the nature of happiness. Instead, Aristotle shows that one
can arrive at the ultimate good by doing one's function well.
How does a person arrive at her highest good? According to Aristotle, if an individual's
action can achieve the highest good, then one must investigate how she functions which enables
her to achieve her ultimate purpose. If she performs her function well, then she is capable of
arriving at happiness. Aristotle then proceeds with discussing the function of human beings to
distinguish one person's activity from other beings. How does a human being function which sets
her apart from the rest?
For Aristotle, what defines human beings is her function or activity of reason. This
function makes her different from the rest of beings. Aristotle expresses this clearly:
…..What then can this be? Life seems to be common even to plants, but we are seeking
what is peculiar to man. Let us exclude, therefore, the life of nutrition and growth. Next there
would be a life of perception, but it also seems to be common even to the horse, the ox, and every
animal. There remains, then, an active life of the element that has a rational principle; of this, one
part has such a principle in the sense of being obedient to one, the other in the sense of possessing
one and exercising thought.

Virtue As Excellence
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 arete by the Greeks. Aristotle is quick to add that virtue is something
that one strives for in time. One does not become an excellent person -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..."8 This means that being virtuous cannot accomplished by a single act. It is
commendable if a minor participant in a crime becomes a whistle-blower, exposing all the grave
acts that were committed by his cohorts. But one should be careful in judgment of calling
immediately that individual as being a "person of virtue." Being an excellent individual works on
doing well in her day-to-day existence.

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
What exactly makes a human being excellent? Aristotle says that excellence is an
activity of the human soul and therefore, one needs to understand the very structure of a
person's soul which must be directed by her rational activity in an excellent way. For
Aristotle, the human soul is divided into two parts: the irrational element and the rational
faculty. The irrational element of man consists of the vegetative and appetitive aspects.
The vegetative aspect functions as giving nutrition and providing the activity of
physical growth in a person. As an irrational element, this part of man is not in the realm
where virtue is exercised because, as the term suggests, it cannot be dictated by reason. The
vegetative aspect of the soul follows the natural processes involved in the physical activities
and growth of a person.
Whereas, the appetitive aspect works as a desiring faculty of man. The act of desiring
in itself is an impulse that naturally runs counter to reason and most of the time refuses to go
along with reason. Thus, this aspect belongs to the irrational part of the soul. Sexual impulse,
for example, is so strong in a person that one tends to ignore reasonable demands to control
such impulse. However, unlike the vegetative aspect, the desiring faculty of man can be
subjected to reason. Aristotle says, "...Now, even this seems to have a share in the rational
principle, as we said; at any rate in the continent man it obeys the rational principle..."9
Desires are subject to reason even though these do not arise from the rational part of the soul.
In contrast, the rational faculty of man exercises excellence in him. One can rightly or
wrongly apply the use of reason in this part. This faculty is further divided into two aspects:
moral, which concerns the act of doing, and intellectual, which concerns the act of knowing.
These two aspects are basically where the function of reason is exercised.
One rational aspect where a person can attain excellence is in the intellectual faculty If
the soul. As stated by Aristotle, this excellence is attained through teaching. Through time,
one learns from the vast experiences in life where she gains knowledge on these things. One
learns and gains wisdom by being taught or by learning. There are two ways by which one
can attain intellectual excellence: philosophic and practical. Philosophic wisdom deals with
attaining knowledge about the fundamental principles and truths that govern the universe
(e.g., general theory on the origins of things).

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
It helps one understand the meaning of life. Practical wisdom, on the other hand, is
an excellence in knowing the right conduct in carrying out a particular act. In other words,
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 suggests that although the rational functions of a person (moral and
intellectual) are distinct from each other, it is necessary for humans to attain the intellectual
virtue of practical wisdom in order to accomplish a morally virtuous act.
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 on 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.
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
different from doing the good that one needs to accomplish. already has the capacity of doing
the good. Knowing the good that needs to be done is
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
in es the makes Be, 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.

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
Therefore, for Aristotle, a person is not initially good by nature:
Again, of all the things that come to us, by nature, we first acquire the potentiality and
later exhibit the activity (this is plain in the case of the senses; for it was not by often seeing or
often hearing that we got these senses, but on the contrary we had them before we used them,
and did not come to have them by using them); but the virtues we get by first exercising them, as
also happens in the case of the arts as well. For the things we have to learn before we can do
them, we learn by doing them...

Any craft that one does can be perfected by habitually doing the right action necessary
to be good in a particular craft. Being a good basketball player, for example, eases constant
training and endless hours of shooting and dribbling the ball in the right way until one
habitually does the right stroke in shooting the ball and the right tempo in dribbling the ball. It is
only when she properly plays basketball consistently that she will be as a good basketball
player.
The same is true with moral virtue. A moral person habitually chooses the good
consistently does good deeds. It is in this constant act of choosing and doing the good and con
person is able to form her character. It is through one's character that others know a that - a
Character then becomes the identification mark of the person.
For instance, when a person—habitually opts to be courteous to others and regularly
shows politeness in the way one he relates to others, others would start recognizing her as a
well-mannered person. On the other hand, when one habitually chooses to be rude to others and
repeatedly demonstrates vulgar and foul acts, she develops an image of an ill-mannered person.
The Filipino term pag-uugali precisely reflects the meaning of moral character. One can have
mabuting pag-uugali (good character) or masamang pag-uugali (bad character).
How does the continuous exposure to violence on television affect the kind of character
that children will develop? One can surmise that if we rely on the above-mentioned study,
children tend to mimic the violence they watch on television and such habit could develop into
a character that can tolerate behaviors that are hostile in nature.

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
Moral Virtue And Mesotes
As stated by Aristotle, 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. One needs to develop this knowledge by exercising le 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 ese mistakes, she will be able
to sustain practical wisdom to help steer another's ability to ow morally right choices and actions.
In other words, she is able to mature and grow in capacity of 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 advise their children how to behave in
front of family members and relatives. Senior members of the community like priests, counselors,
and leaders may also guide the young members on how relationships with others are fostered.
Bro. Armin Luistro, with his practical wisdom and experience, has observed the possible
effect of television violence on the young so he issued guidelines on television viewing for
children. He says that good values instilled on children are "sometimes removed from the
consciousness of young people" because of television violence. As former Secretary of the
Department of Education, he possibly learned so much about the consequence of such situation
on the young.
However, when practical wisdom guides the conduct of making morally right choices
and actions, what does it identify as the proper and right thing to do? As maintainer by Aristotle,
it is the middle, intermediate, or mesotes for the Greeks that is aimed at by morally virtuous
person. Determining the middle becomes the proper tool by which or can arrive at the proper way
of doing things.
Based on Aristotle, a morally virtuous person is concerned with achieving appropriate
action in a manner that is neither excessive nor deficient. in other w virtue is the middle or the
intermediary point in between extremes. One has to function in a state that her personality
manifests the right amount of feelings, passions, and ability for a particular act.

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
Generally, feelings and passions are neutral which means that it themselves, they are
neither morally right nor wrong. When one shows a feeling of art9ti, we cannot immediately
construe it as morally wrong act. But the rightness or wrongness feelings, passions, and
abilities lies in the degree of their application in a given situation. f's 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 manifests these feelings, passions,
and abilities. But One can also be deficient in the way she be insensitive because she is not
directly affected.
A morally virtuous 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 part situation.
In relation to the news article, the government and its agencies responsible for
protecting and assisting the young on their personal development should act in view of the
middle measure. The government could have dismissed the issue or could have banned
television shows portraying violence. But such extremes censure the citizen's freedom of
expression and artistic independence, which can result in another issue. Wisely, the
government acted on the side of the middle measure by going through a series of consultations
to address the issue of television violence—implementing the rules and guidelines for viewing
safety, dedicating 15% of television airtime for child-friendly shows, and enforcing a
television violence rating code that took into account the "sensibilities of children:' it seems
that the government acted in a manner that is not deficient and excessive.

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
Aristotle's discussion ultimately leads to defining what exactly moral virtue is "a state of
character concerned with choice, lying in a mean, that is, the mean relative to us, this being
determined by a rational principle, and by that principle by which the man of practical wisdom
would determine it."13
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 for the good. Secondly, in moral virtue, the action done that normally
manifests feelings and passions Is chosen because it is the middle. The middle does not fall
short or is excessive of the proper proportion by which these feelings or passions should be
expressed. Aristotle adds that the middle is relative to us. This does not imply that mesotes
totally depends on 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 one is in. This means that in choosing the middle, one is
looking at the situation and not at oneself in identifying the proper way that feelings and
passions should be dispensed.
Thirdly, the rational faculty that serves as a guide for the proper identification of the
middle is practical wisdom. The virtuous person learns from her experiences and therefore
develops the capacity to know the proper way of carrying out her feelings, passions, and actions.
The rational faculties of this person, specifically practical wisdom, aid in making a virtuous
person develop this habit of doing the good. A moral person in this sense is also someone who is
wise. Habit is not simply borne out repetitive and non-thought-of activities in a person. Habits
for Aristotle are products of the constant application of reason in the person's actions. One sees
Aristotle's attempt to establish a union between the person's moral action and knowledge that
enables him to achieve man's function.
Aristotle clarifies further that not all feelings, passions, and actions have a middle point.
When a mean is sought, it is in the context of being able to identify the good act in a given
situation. However, when what is involved is seen as a bad feeling, passion, or action the middle
is non-existent because there is no good (mesotes) in something that is already considered a bad
act. When one murders someone, there is nothing excessive or deficient in the act: murder is
still murder. Further, there is no intermediary for Aristotle in the ac because there is no proper
way that such act can be Committed.

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
In the study mentioned wherein children are beginning to consider violence as "a 44 way
to solve problems, “it seems apparent that they would like to think that there is somehow a
good" in an unjust act since it can become a problem-solver. If violence becomes a tool by
which difficult situations are addressed, then it can be construed by children of bearing some
Positive value. Aristotle's view is contrary to this. As an act, violence, in itself, is bad. A Person
cannot employ violence as if it were a virtue or a middle measure in between vices of Wrong in
such demonstration. being deficient in violence or being "excessive" of the same act. There is
something terribly wrong in such demonstration.
Aristotle also provides examples of particular virtues and the corresponding Excess
excesses and deficiencies of these. This table shows of the virtues and their vices:
Excess Middle Defiency
Impulsiveness Self-control Indecisiveness
Recklessness Courage Cowardice
Prodigality Liberality Meanness
In the table, Aristotle identifies the virtue of co the vices of being coward and reckless
courage as the middle, in between. Cowardice is a deficiency in terms of feelings and passions.
This means that one lacks the capacity to muster enough bravery of carrying herself
appropriately in a given situation. Recklessness, on the other hand, is an excess in terms of one's
feelings and passions. In this regard, one acts with a surplus of guts that she overdoes an act in
such rashness and without any deliberation. The virtue of having courage is being able to act
daringly enough but able to weigh up possible implications of such act that she proceeds with
caution.
It is only through the middle that a person is able to manifest her feelings, passions, and
actions virtuously. For Aristotle, being superfluous with regard to manifesting a virtue is no
longer an ethical act because one has gone beyond the middle. Being overly courageous (or
"super courageous") for instance does not make someone more virtuous because precisely in this
condition, she has gone f and the middle and therefore has "moved out" 'corn the state that is
virtuous. Therefore, one can always be excessive in her action but an act that is virtuous cannot
go beyond the middle. Filipinos have the penchant of using superlative words like "over”,
“super”, “to the max", and "sobra" in describing a particular act oat they normally identify as
virtuous. Perhaps, Aristotle's view on virtue is prescribing a y by which Filipinos can better
understand it.

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
SUMMARY
Aristotle's virtue ethics starts with recognizing that happiness is the ultimate purpose or telos
of a person. As the ultimate purpose, happiness is deemed as the final self-sufficient end of a person.
It is by realizing the highest goat of a person that she happiness that is also considered as the greatest
good. Attaining happiness is arrived when she performs her function, which is to act in accordance to
reason in an outstanding manner. It is in doing her function well that virtue, excellence, or arete is
realized.
To carry out the task of performing her function well, the person has to understand the
structure of the soul where her reason will operate. Aristotle shows that human sou divided into the
irrational and rational faculties. The vegetative aspect of the irrational pa; of the soul cannot be
directed by reason because it does the natural processes of the that are responsible for the physical
growth. The appetitive aspect of the irrational part the soul, on the other hand, is driven by impulses
which are, in general, contrary to reason but can be acted out obeying the dictates of reason.
Therefore, reason can manage appetitive aspect, and impulses can be handled well by a person.
The rational faculty of the soul is the part where excellence can be attained. Pa0 the rational
faculty of the soul is the intellectual aspect concerned with the act of knowing. Excellence on this
faculty is achieved through learning. One learns well that is why she gains philosophical and practical
wisdom. Philosophical wisdom is the knowledge of the gene4 principles that Constitute reality, while
practical wisdom is the knowledge of determining the appropriate action in a given situation. One can
learn from experience and therefore can gain sufficient understanding on what to do.
Aristotle points out that having intellectual excellence does not make One into a morally good
person. Knowing the good and being able to determine the appropriate action in a given situation do
not make her do the good automatically. Practical wisdom, as such, is still in the realm of the
intellectual aspect of the soul. The moral aspect of the rational faculty concerns itself with the act of
doing the good. She becomes virtuous or excellent in doing the good by habitual performance. To be a
morally virtuous individual is a constant carrying out of the act of goodness. The unethical person, on
the other hand, is someone who habitually performs bad deeds. This habitual action for Aristotle is
what forms the character of the person. Her identity is associated with accomplishing the good or bad
action. Virtue ethics is concerned primarily with the task of developing a good character

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
Aristotle sees the development of one's character as the constant interaction between the
faculties of the rational part of the soul. Practical wisdom is deemed as a necessary ingredient in
guiding the moral faculty in doing the appropriate action. Practical wisdom identifies the right
action and the moral faculty aptly executes it. What practical wisdom identifies as the right
action according to Aristotle is the mesotes or the middle measure of an action, feeling, or
passion. The middle is always in between an action, feeling, or passion that is deficient or
excessive. Nothing is lacking or is too much from an act that is morally good. For Aristotle,
virtue is the good between vices.
To sum up, moral virtue according to Aristotle, is a “state of character” which habitually
acts according to the middle measure that practical wisdom identifies as the moral choice that
should be acted upon, given the concrete situation that presents to the person. The goal of virtue
ethics is to promote the maturity of the character of the person. Building a good character is a
task and responsibility of every person.

Name: ________________________________________ Year/Block/Major:___________

Now that you have read the text above, it is expected that you are ready to answer
the following exercises. Please answer them with sincerity.
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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics

Applicatio
Activity 1. Identification (10 pts)
Directions: List down how a person’s character is formed according to Aristotle.

Ways how character

is formed according
to Aristotle

Name: ________________________________________ Year/Block/Major:___________

Activity 2.A Identification (10 pts)

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
Directions: Using the table below, list down 10 virtuous acts that you live for and 10 non-
virtuous acts that you believe needs to be discontinued.
 A virtuous act requires that we do the right thing knowingly and willingly, that we act in
character, and that we do the act for its own sake (and not from an ulterior motive or
reward). A non-virtuous acts is simply the opposite.

Virtuous Acts Non-virtuous acts

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Activity 2. B From the list above, choose one virtuous act that needs to be upheld the most and
one non-virtuous act that strongly needs to be discouraged. Justify your answer.

Name: ________________________________________ Year/Block/Major:___________

Activity 3. ART & CRAFTS (20 pts)

Directions: Create a unique slogan/quote which reflects what you have learned in the topic “Virtue
Ethics”. Use the space below. (Refer to the Rubrics in the next page as guide in crafting a quality work.)
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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
Rubrics in Creating a Slogan/Quote
4 3 2 1

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics
Craftmanship The slogan/quote The slogan/quote The slogan/quote The slogan is
is exceptionally is attractive, good is acceptably distractingly
attractive, well- construction, and attractive messy
constructed and not messy construction,
not messy though it may be
a bit messy

Creativity The slogan/quote The slogan/quote The slogan/quote The slogan/quote

is exceptionally is somewhat is fairly creative. does not reflect
creative. A lot of creative. A good any degree of
thought and effort amount of creativity.
was used thought and effort
was used
Originality Exceptional use Good use of new Average use of No use of new
of new ideas and ideas and new ideas and ideas and
originality to originality to originality to originality
create create a create
slogan/quote slogan/quote

References
1. Albee, Ernest. (1902). A History of English Utilitarianism. New York: Macmillan,
2. Bulaong, O.G. et al (2018). Ethics: Foundations of Moral Valuation. REX Bookstore

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ETHICS Module 4: Virtue Ethics