Virtue Ethics Vs. Sentimentalist Virtue - 1858 Words

Virtue Ethics vs. Sentimentalist Virtue Ethics Virtue Ethics is defined as â€Å"any character-based approach to normative ethics that emphasizes some conception virtues and vices; often including a universal conception of human flourishing† (Blakley, Christopher). Aristotle and David Hume developed accounts of ethics that remained true to their own empirical philosophies; both of which stray away from the more traditional accounts. Their opposing theories contain the overall theme of how a virtuous person would live their life. In contrast, David Hue developed his own account of sentimentalist virtue ethics that challenges, or pushes back on, the virtue ethics Aristotle. According to Aristotle, we should be virtuous people, and therefore perform virtuous acts. Instead of talking about particular actions and the rules according to which they are undertaken, then, Aristotle requires us to look at virtues, or qualities of character. Aristotle’s teachings emphasize more on character traits rather than rules or obligations. â€Å"Moral agency is not merely a matter of which rules to follow, but a whole way of life. It requires a unity of thought and feeling, which is characteristic of what Aristotle, called ‘virtue’† (Boetzkes and Waluchow, p. 23). What is a virtue, and what is the virtuous life? Aristotle’s definition is cited as â€Å"a state of character concerned with choice, lying in a mean, i.e., the mean relative to us, this being determined by rational principle, that principle by