PHILOS 2YY3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Cardinal Virtues, Virtue Ethics, Moral Agency
3 Apr 2018
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Document Summary
Virtues are dispositions of character acquired through habituating our thoughts and feelings virtue ethics says be this" so that you may do that", and in doing so that you will become this. Virtue ethics is lean on principles determining what is right, and deontology is lean on habits and dispositions determining that we should do it in the here and now according to our inclinations. If we combine deficiencies of virtue ethics into one coherent morality, we can rightly go forth. We cannot be virtuous without doing virtuous actions, but we cannot do virtuous actions without having knowledge of what they are, and knowledge of what they are depends on moral principles outlining our duties. Cardinal virtues: primary traits from which others may be derived. Prima facie duties: fundamental obligations required of any moral agent. Two cardinal virtues and two prima facie principles: benevolence & justice | principle of beneficence & principle of equality.
