People Tend to Act Out of Perceived Self Interest Fact
It isn’t true that everyone acts out of self interest, but generally people tend to act in accord with their perceived self interest and “moral sentiments.”
Virtue Theory
Virtue theory, or virtue ethics, is the philosophy of vices and virtues, a branch of philosophy that looks at normative ethics in terms of virtue.
That probably sounds more metaphysical than it is, but it isn’t pure metaphysics… it is ethics based on moral principles, it is a type of practical metaphysics.
Factoids tagged with "Virtue Theory"
The Greeks Founded the Basis of Utilitarianism and Consequentialism Fact
Although we can consider Jeremy Bentham the founder of modern Utilitarianism, and his successor John Stuart Mill the one who popularized it, early Greek philosophers like Aristotle, Aristippus and Epicurus presented the original Utilitarian / Consequentialist / Greatest Happiness theories.
Liberty and Equality are Mutually Dependent Fact
We present an essay on the purpose of the laws and government to better understand how liberty, rights, equality, and justice are inseparable in nature and in civil society.
Intention Matters Fact
Intention matters in planning, action, and doing. Attention, intention, and impact are all important components of an action.
There are Different Types of Good and Evil Fact
There are different types of good and evil. The way to understand the types of good and evil differs by culture and text, but we can find general similarities by looking at major works and belief systems.
Blog Posts tagged with "Virtue Theory"
Commodity Fetishism, Consumerism, the Society of the Spectacle, Alienation, and More
We define terms related to “the society of the spectacle” like commodity fetishism, consumerism, “proletarianization,” and alienation.
Good Faith, Bad Faith, and Duty
Good Faith is a true attempt, Bad Faith is an intentionally dishonest attempt, Duty is the moral and ethical obligation to make Good Faith attempts.
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Theory of the Forms Explained
We explain Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Plato’s Theory of the Forms to help readers understand the essence of Plato’s overarching theory.
Paradigms, Dialectics, Abstractions, the Golden Mean, and Dealing With Dualities
We discuss theories that deal with the nature of abstractions and contradictions including, Dialectics and the Golden Mean theory, and offer a “synthesis” of these theories.
What is Criminal Virtue?
Criminal virtue is a concept eluded to in Machiavelli’s the Prince. It describes calculated “criminal acts” that can help one get ahead in politics.
The Spheres of Human Understanding
All knowledge, all human understanding, can be said to be of four types: physical (empirical), logical (reason), ethical (philosophy in-action), and metaphysical (pure philosophy).
The Importance of Principles
Principles are, in a broad sense, simply rule-sets which we follow. Below we will discuss the importance of different types of principles.
The Virtues of Political Correctness
The concept of political correctness can be understood as an excess or deficiency of a few key virtues. Here is a model of “the virtues of political correctness” based on Aristotle’s virtue theory of means.
What is Fairness? / What is Justice?
Plato’s Republic, utilitarianism, the philosophies of morality, ethics, politics, virtue, and law are all centered around one question “what is justice?” (AKA “what is fairness?”).
Fairness, Justice, Morality, Ethics, and Utilitarianism
On this page we discuss the concepts of fairness, justice, morality, and ethics as they relate to Utilitarianism.
Separation of Powers Metaphor
The four “elements” (or “powers”) that form the foundation of government can roughly be expressed as: citizens, executive, legislative, and judicial.
Vices and Virtues Explained
We present a list of vices and virtues and look at vices and virtues as understood by philosophers like Aristotle and Aquinas.
The Point of Life is Happiness
We present a discussion on “the meaning of life as happiness,”the Greatest Happiness Theory,” “the Good Life,”the Pursuit of Happiness,” and Virtue Theory.
Arete Explained
Areté roughly means “moral virtue”. It refers to an innate “excellence” or “essence” in all things, and the striving toward that potential or purpose.
Book Reviews tagged with "Virtue Theory"
Plato’s Republic Explained
Plato’s Republic attempts to define “justice”, show why we should be just, and relate this to an ideal form of government which best fosters justice in the State and Soul.