PHIL110B Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Mahatma Gandhi, The Principle, Kantian Ethics
24 Aug 2016
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Kantian deontology and utilitarianism evaluate the conduct of actions. It does not explain any rule for evaluating the rightness or wrongness of any conduct. Virtue ethics is not primarily about the evaluation of conduct. It is primarily about the evaluation of people and their moral character. What kind of person is it morally best to be. What are the character traits of the morally virtuous person. Once we determine the function of a person in a specific role, we can understand what character attributes make an individual successful in that role. A good carpenter can work with their hands, they understand how to build things etc. Aristotle"s view: the function of man is an activity of soul which follows or implies a rational principle. Rationality and the capacity to guide our lives in a rational manner is what separates us from plants and other animals.
