Virtue ethics has firmly established itself as a major ethical tradition alongside deontology and consequentialism. Its resurgence reflects a growing dissatisfaction
with purely rule-based or outcome-based approaches to ethics, which often seem to miss the broader picture of what it means to live a good life.
For more information, you also can re-read lecture 1161 and 1162 from Januari 2025.
There are a lot of areas where the concept of virtue plays a key role in the discussion of the ethics of that area.
Let's explore five sacred concerning interactions with your fellowman in general, which were already formulated by the Stoics (4th century BC).
One: Virtue matters most. We must control ourselves as our desires deceive us.
Two: Honesty is always best. Lies harm our happiness while honesty keeps us upright.
Three: Jealousy causes harm. We should admire and take pride in others. The desire to possess them is a chain that binds us.
Four: Violence is never acceptable. Empathy and compassion always prevail over aggression.
Five: We must respect everyone's worth. Respecting others' freedom is the key to living in harmony with nature. Let's transcend ego and desire, leaving behind a legacy of virtue.
All features of the virtuous homo sapiens. The cynical response can be of course... oh my goodness, do you really believe we are saints?
No, but these are yet the tools that enables us to question our behavior and distinguish good from evil. And this debate we encounter everywhere.
Virtue ethics is increasingly applied to professional ethics, for instance in medical ethics, business ethics, legal ethics, where character, integrity, and professional judgment are paramount.
It offers a framework for understanding not just what rules professionals should follow, but what kind of professionals they should be.
Given its emphasis on character formation and habituation, virtue ethics provides a natural framework for discussions on moral education,
both in schools and within families and communities. It encourages fostering dispositions rather than simply memorizing rules.
Some virtue ethicists are exploring how virtues like humility, respect for nature, and prudence can inform our ethical relationship with the environment, moving beyond purely rights-based or utilitarian considerations.
Contemporary virtue ethicists often engage in constructive dialogue with deontological and consequentialist theories, seeking to integrate insights
or demonstrate how a virtue-ethical perspective can complement or even underpin these other approaches.
For instance, a virtuous person might consistently act in accordance with duties or aim for good consequences, but their motivation and character would be the primary lens.
There is a lot more to say about the value and meaning of this current revival of virtue ethics, but let's end with one conclusion:
with deontology, consequentialism and virtue ethics homo sapiens proofs in a clear way that he is perfectly well capable of formulation the difference between good and evil without the help of some supernatural or transcendental entity.
Thank you for your attention again...
Main Sources:
MacMillan The Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2nd edition
TABLE OF CONTENT -----------------------------------------------------------------
1 - 100 Philosophers 9 May 2009 Start of
2 - 25+ Women Philosophers 10 May 2009 this blog
3 - 25 Adventures in Thinking 10 May 2009
4 - Modern Theories of Ethics 29 Oct 2009
5 - The Ideal State 24 Febr 2010 / 234
6 - The Mystery of the Brain 3 Sept 2010 / 266
7 - The Utopia of the Free Market 16 Febr 2012 / 383
8. - The Aftermath of Neo-liberalism 5 Sept 2012 / 413
9. - The Art Not to Be an Egoist 6 Nov 2012 / 426
10 - Non-Western Philosophy 29 May 2013 / 477
11 - Why Science is Right 2 Sept 2014 / 534
12 - A Philosopher looks at Atheism 1 Jan 2015 / 557
13 - EVIL, a philosophical investigation 17 Apr 2015 / 580
14 - Existentialism and Free Will 2 Sept 2015 / 586
15 - Spinoza 2 Sept 2016 / 615
16 - The Meaning of Life 13 Febr 2017 / 637
17 - In Search of my Self 6 Sept 2017 / 670
18 - The 20th Century Revisited 3 Apr 2018 / 706
19 - The Pessimist 11 Jan 2020 / 819
20 - The Optimist 9 Febr 2020 / 824
21 - Awakening from a Neoliberal Dream 8 Oct 2020 / 872
22 - A World Full of Patterns 1 Apr 2021 / 912
23 - The Concept of Freedom 8 Jan 2022 / 965
24 - Materialism 7 Sept 2022 / 1011
25 - Historical Materialism 5 Oct 2023 / 1088
26 - The Bonobo and the Atheist 9 Jan 2024 / 1102
27 - Artificial Intelligence 9 Feb 2024 / 1108
28 - Why Am I Here 6 Sept 2024 / 1139
The Discussion
[13:20] Max Chatnoir: Thank you, Herman.
[13:20] Valibrarian Gregg: Virtue ethics aligns with my personal passion for teaching Digital Citizenship....in our information age
[13:21] Lukkie Sands: Long story....I guess you meant formulating the difference.....?
[13:21] herman Bergson: Yes, my mistake...overlooked it when proofreading
[13:21] herman Bergson: Interesting Val, in what way?
[13:22] Valibrarian Gregg: Well, one must be ethical and understand human virtues to become a good digital citizen
[13:22] Valibrarian Gregg: and that is where our youth today "live and communicate" much of the time
[13:23] herman Bergson: Yes....
[13:23] Valibrarian Gregg: hence the rise in mental health issues among them (lack of understanding digital citizenship and misuse of online platforms and social media)
[13:23] herman Bergson: Makes me think of a very hot topic these days.....accountability......
[13:24] herman Bergson: which means you have to be honest and transparent
[13:24] Max Chatnoir: Herman, I noticed that the list of virtues at the top didn't talk about property rights, which probably emerged along with the agricultural revolution. And thou shalt not steal was established by the time of the 10 commandments.
[13:25] herman Bergson: Not sure but I think I talked about that in lecture 1161 and 1162....
[13:26] Valibrarian Gregg: and with AI evolving quickly, young people will require new skills (ethics and human virtue) that we have not even considered
[13:26] Max Chatnoir: I was just interested in the Virtues list.
[13:26] herman Bergson: I guess stealing is of all ages, but property rights and agriculture...I guess is a relation indeed
[13:27] herman Bergson: Oh...such a list you can make as long as you like...
[13:27] herman Bergson: Although scientists look for universal virtues
[13:27] Max Chatnoir: No, I like your list, and I think it's interesting that ownership and theft, etc, weren't on it. I think that's something to think about.
[13:28] herman Bergson: Ah...I see...
[13:28] herman Bergson: Ownership is not a virtue....just a human organizational invention
[13:29] Valibrarian Gregg: yes! yet respect for intellectual and physical property is a virtue
[13:29] herman Bergson: The point is that in capitalism, ownership rights are unlimited
[13:29] Max Chatnoir: Yes, "stuff" gets into the equation about relationships between people, including people owning people.
[13:29] herman Bergson: Yes Val, that is respect for the other
[13:30] herman Bergson: You can only own a person when you regard it as an object
[13:30] Valibrarian Gregg: owning a human being is barbaric
[13:30] herman Bergson: for which you do not need to have respect
[13:30] Max Chatnoir: Exactly! When people become "stuff" then you get things like honor killings and slavery.
[13:31] herman Bergson: If respect and empathy are virtues, a person can never be an object
[13:32] herman Bergson: It was also one of the cornerstones of Kant's philosophy
[13:32] herman Bergson: And you see it in war and in racism...
[13:32] Valibrarian Gregg: the debate may arise: is human nature inherent or learned
[13:32] herman Bergson: dehumanization of the other....
[13:32] Max Chatnoir: or invented? Great question, Val!
[13:33] herman Bergson: calling him a rat or a monster or an animal
[13:33] Valibrarian Gregg: I have heard it said that every human is capable of any inhumane act...(with the right circumstances, past experiences etc)- not sure I believe it
[13:33] herman Bergson: That is the famous Nature vs. Nurture debate Val
[13:33] Valibrarian Gregg: yes- and perhaps it is both (in my opinion)
[13:34] Valibrarian Gregg: both nature and nurture contribute
[13:34] Valibrarian Gregg: *t
[13:34] Max Chatnoir: Well part of parenting is maybe modeling what a human is supposed to be.
[13:34] herman Bergson: Of course, it is both, it explains differences in culture
[13:34] Max Chatnoir: Humans have a very long growth and developmental period.
[13:35] herman Bergson: But a sense of fairness and honesty transcends culture, like Frans de Waal has shown with his experiments with primates
[13:35] Valibrarian Gregg: Although some argue that one is more prominent than the other (you are who you are when born) etc
[13:35] herman Bergson: To me that is a rather meaningless discussion....
[13:36] Valibrarian Gregg: good point! it is what it is :)
[13:36] herman Bergson: How do you measure what is from nature and what from nurture....unbelievable complex situation
[13:37] Valibrarian Gregg: it can be used a a cop out! (I was born this way... or my father's abuse made me this way)
[13:37] Max Chatnoir: I remember a bonobo at the Fort Worth zoo bringing her baby to the fence to show it to us.
[13:37] herman Bergson: We know that both play a role and only neuroscientific and cultural anthropological research may lift a tip of the veil
[13:37] herman Bergson: yes, some primates do that...
[13:38] herman Bergson: If you show them your child, they show you theirs....seen that :-)
[13:38] Max Chatnoir: It does seem like a lot of criminals have not had very happy childhoods.
[13:38] herman Bergson: IS one option....
[13:38] herman Bergson: a genetic defect is another
[13:39] herman Bergson: a brain disorder is another one
[13:39] Max Chatnoir: Yes, there could be biological factors, too.
[13:39] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): not having a happy childhood can be an excuse
[13:39] herman Bergson: or a happy childhood but a really bad education so that the child becomes a narcissist
[13:40] Valibrarian Gregg: and perhaps we should respect experts (I mean a psychologist can explain mental health better than I can)
[13:40] Valibrarian Gregg: Today's culture respects YouTube more than experts!
[13:40] bergfrau Apfelbaum: A friend of my son. He was a very sheltered child. With a helicopter mother... At 9, he was a wild and horrible boy. He grabbed cats by the tail and shot them away. In my eyes, he was the devil in him
[13:40] herman Bergson: Pointing at the unhappy childhood is in contradiction with the claim of accountability of the agent.
[13:40] bergfrau Apfelbaum: today he's a married father with his own company. ... i think it was because as a small child he wasn't allowed to do ANYTHING on his own.
[13:41] Max Chatnoir: Did he get over flinging cats?
[13:41] Valibrarian Gregg: ooh bergfrau...good example the people can overcome hardships
[13:41] bergfrau Apfelbaum: yes!! He was just with 9,10,12 a little monster
[13:41] herman Bergson: And is this because of nature or nurture?
[13:42] Max Chatnoir: Probably neither exclusively.
[13:42] Valibrarian Gregg: that one seems to lean toward nurture- the constant repressing of the child maybe
[13:43] herman Bergson whispers: always a lot of speculation possible here:-)
[13:43] Valibrarian Gregg: but perhaps it is always both....and we live in a world of constant swirling opposing concepts
[13:43] Valibrarian Gregg: or seemingly opposing
[13:44] herman Bergson: at least we can conclude that there still is a lot of good character in human beings in general
[13:44] herman Bergson: and that we can learn virtues. train them, understand them
[13:45] Valibrarian Gregg: indeed... there is human good and kindness and self-sacrifice
[13:45] herman Bergson: Actually it eventually has always won through history, how horrible this history may have been
[13:46] herman Bergson: Otherwise mankind would have eradicated itself already long ago
[13:46] Valibrarian Gregg: We survive....even if negatively charged posts and news stories seem to be shared more often than positive ones.
[13:46] Max Chatnoir: Sometimes I want to talk about what might be more effective than prison for dealing with human misbehavior. And no, I don't have any bright ideas.
[13:46] bergfrau Apfelbaum: yes! and those of good character are in the majority. we are the world, we are the love, we are the winner 🌻
[13:47] herman Bergson: yay
[13:47] herman Bergson: Bergie
[13:47] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): amen:)
[13:47] herman Bergson: So be it :-)
[13:47] Max Chatnoir: That is encouraging, Bergie!
[13:47] Valibrarian Gregg: There is room for the word "faith" - we can have faith in each other...in a hope for the future :)
[13:48] Valibrarian Gregg: rather than futility
[13:48] herman Bergson: Yes Val
[13:48] bergfrau Apfelbaum: oh yes Val
[13:48] herman Bergson: Philosophers go on thinking, scientists go on researching because they have faith in a future
[13:48] Valibrarian Gregg: and might I go so far as to say - faith in a higher power?
[13:48] Max Chatnoir: And I think what you have on your head there is part of it value. The record of human experience.
[13:49] Valibrarian Gregg: yes- we cannot forget history
[13:49] bergfrau Apfelbaum: we are all gods
[13:49] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont)Which higher power Val?
[13:49] Max Chatnoir: Sorry, I meant to say "...part of it, Val."
[13:49] herman Bergson: We have the will to survive...like all living organisms
[13:50] Valibrarian Gregg: I do believe in God.... (that higher power) but I also believe we need not push our beliefs on others
[13:50] herman Bergson: I guess this will to survive is the god in us and all living things
[13:50] Valibrarian Gregg: I am not a god nor a superhero myself hehe
[13:50] Max Chatnoir: I often think of reading and writing as the human superpower. The ability for whatever wisdom we have to survive us.
[13:51] Valibrarian Gregg: I am just one little pebble on the shore of the beautiful ocean.
[13:52] bergfrau Apfelbaum: Higher power sounds like a double Trump or a double Putin.... but I think we're not the only ones. in infinitely large galaxies, it can't be that we're the only ones orbiting around 🪐
[13:52] herman Bergson: This all sounds positive......
[13:52] Valibrarian Gregg: Exactly- who knows! I like that poster behind me to the right....our tiny dot of existence in the yearly calendar of life on earth
[13:53] herman Bergson: Yes....very educational, Val
[13:53] Valibrarian Gregg: whatever "God" is....cannot be contained in the concept of higher power or any other human word
[13:53] herman Bergson: So far, we are still just a blip in eternity
[13:54] bergfrau Apfelbaum: we are all superheroes! One sperm among millions, that's us:-) the winners, again
[13:54] Max Chatnoir: We are a pretty closely related species.
[13:54] Valibrarian Gregg: we are precious- life is precious.... it seems like two opposing concepts (We are but a tiny blip/ We are precious)
[13:55] Valibrarian Gregg: I believe we are both
[13:55] herman Bergson: Well, this looks like a nice moment to finish our discussion and take all positive ideas and thoughts with us.... ㋡
[13:55] Valibrarian Gregg: I believe in opposites as holding truth on earth :) the negative and the positive charge swirling and holding life together
[13:55] herman Bergson: So.... thank you all again....
[13:55] Max Chatnoir: Thank you again for poking me! I don't like missing these discussions!
[13:56] herman Bergson: My pleasure Max :-)))
[13:56] Valibrarian Gregg: excellent presentation Philosopher herman Bergson! ty
[13:56] bergfrau Apfelbaum: it was, as always, a great discussion. ty Herman and class
[13:56] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Thank you Herman very intersting again:))
[13:56] bergfrau Apfelbaum: yay
[13:56] Max Chatnoir: I love this group!
[13:56] herman Bergson: Thank you Max
[13:57] Valibrarian Gregg: TY Max for telling me about this!
[13:57] Max Chatnoir: My pleasure!
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