Martha Nussbaum’s “Non-Relative Virtues: An Aristotelian Approach” Introduction to Ethical theory, Benjamin Visscher Hole IV 240W8L1

Clicker Quiz Where we are Transition from Aristotle to Nussbaum Agenda

Clicker Quiz

rationalism. empiricism. relativism. absolutism. deontology. Nussbaum claims that to many current ethical theorists, turning to an ethical approach based on the virtues is connected with a turn toward: rationalism. empiricism. relativism. absolutism. deontology. teleology. all of the above. none of the above.

to give an analysis of the notion of “goodness.” According to Nussbaum, the first step in Aristotle’s account of each virtue is: to isolate a sphere of human experience that is more or less universally shared. to give an analysis of the notion of “goodness.” to survey the opinions of previous thinkers on the matter. to list different possible accounts of that virtue. all of the above. none of the above.

grounding experiences. a thick description of the virtue. tradition. Nussbaum claims that for Aristotle the reference of each virtue term is fixed by: conventional use. grounding experiences. a thick description of the virtue. tradition. ‘endoxa’ all of the above. none of the above.

Dates Required Readings Recommended Readings Week One: June 24-28 Why be moral? Moral Theory Primer Syllabus Plato, 65-78 Timmons (electronic) Shafer-Landau, 1-17 Shafer-Landau, 289-305 Concepción (electronic) Week Two: July 1-5 Social Contract Theory and Collective Action Problems Hobbes, 236-247 Hardin (electronic) Vaughn, “How to Read an Argument” (electronic) Shafer-Landau, 201-213 Week Three: July 8-12 Utilitarianism Nozick (electronic) Bentham, 353-361 Shafer-Landau, 117-132 Shafer-Landau, 21-58 Week Four: July 15-19 Singer, 873-880 Mill, 362-383 Shafer-Landau, 133-153 Week Five: July 22-26 Kantian Ethics Kant, 313-352   O’Neil (electronic) Velleman (electronic) Shafer-Landau, 168-186 Week Six: July 29 - August 2 Assessing Utilitarianism & Kantian Ethics Anscombe, 527-539 Williams, 657-673 Wolf, 790-802 Stocker (electronic) Baker (electronic) Week Seven: August 5-8 Virtue Ethics Aristotle, 124-140; 146-147 Shafer-Landau, 252-271 Aristotle, 152-157 Week Eight: August 12-16 Virtue Ethics & Assessing Ethical Theory Nussbaum, 755-774 Note: Final Paper due August 12 Week Nine: August 19-23 Contemporary Moral Issues: Abortion Thomson, 817-827 Hursthouse, 849-862 Review for the final Note: Final Exam August 23

I could use a short extension on my paper. Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

My preferred paper due date: Monday at 11:59pm (no change) Tuesday at 11:59pm Wednesday at 11:59pm Thursday at 11:59pm Friday at 11:59pm

Main Takeaways from Friday’s lecture Practical Wisdom (phronesis) The Practical Syllogism Practical (Moral) Perception Top-down and bottom-up methodologies The Reciprocity of the Virtues

Aristotle’s Virtues Virtue Sphere of Life Virtues of feelings Courage Fear/confidence Temperance (Bodily) pleasure   Virtues of external goods Generosity Money Magnificence Magnanimity Honor Proper Pride Virtues concerned with social life Mildness Anger Truthfulness Truth-telling Wit Amusements Friendliness Pleasure in daily life

The Reciprocity of the Virtues Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Aristotle’s Theory Top-down and bottom-up As Sarah Broadie puts it, Aristotle simultaneously offers two kinds of answers to “what should I do?” questions: there is a unified, exhaustive answer from the “architectonic perspective,” but there are only particular answers on the “ground level.” Eudaimonia The function argument Excellence in intellectual virtues Excellence in phronesis Excellence in the moral virtues The doctrine of the mean All of the relevant parameters Moral particulars; objects of moral perception Structured by a series of practical syllogisms …

Tragic dilemmas Moral Perception Practical Guidance Moral Residue / Remainder

The virtues in moral philosophy Many recent philosophers have expressed renewed interest in the virtues. This interest has often been accompanied by a turn to relativism. (VE) “An action is right if and only if (and because) it is what the virtuous person would not avoid doing in the circumstances under consideration.” (Timmons, 23) 15

The Relativism Worry (ER) “An act (performed by members of group G) is right if and only if the moral norms that are accepted by G permit the performance of the action.” (Timmons, 32) (VE) “An action is right if and only if (and because) it is what the virtuous person would not avoid doing in the circumstances under consideration.” (Timmons, 23) 16

The Relativism Worry (CS) “The rightness or wrongness of an action may depend in part on facts about the agent and her circumstances, where her circumstances may include facts about the norms for what counts as constituting insults, a person’s privacy, proper respect for others, and so forth” (Timmons, 33). (ER) “An act (performed by members of group G) is right if and only if the moral norms that are accepted by G permit the performance of the action.” (Timmons, 32) (VE) “An action is right if and only if (and because) it is what the virtuous person would not avoid doing in the circumstances under consideration.” (Timmons, 23) 17

The Relativism Worry “[Any] virtue ethics which is ‘Aristotelian’ as described inevitably aims to stick close to the author’s interpretation of Aristotle, and interpretations of Aristotle, in many of which relevant issues vary.” We can reject Aristotle’s views, e.g., on women and slavery. We can also revise the list of virtues. Hursthouse ON VIRTUE ETHICS, (1999), 9. (VE) “An action is right if and only if (and because) it is what the virtuous person would not avoid doing in the circumstances under consideration.” (Timmons, 23) 18

Martha Nussbaum (VE) “An action is right if and only if (and because) it is what the virtuous person would not avoid doing in the circumstances under consideration.” (Timmons, 23)

An Aristotelian Program This is Nussbaum’s virtue ethical response to the relativism worry. A two-stage inquiry Isolate a sphere of human experience that figures in more or less any human life, in which nearly everyone will have to make some choices about how to act. Find a correct fuller specification of what it is to act well in that sphere. 20

Nussbaum’s Spheres of Virtue 1. Courage Fear of important damages, esp. death. 2. Moderation Bodily appetites and their pleasures. 3. Justice Distribution of limited resources. 4. Generosity Management of one’s personal property where others are concerned. 5. Expansive hospitality Management of one’s personal property where hospitality is concerned. 6. Greatness of soul Attitudes and actions with respect to one’s own worth. 7. Mildness of temper Attitude to slights and damages 8.a. Truthfulness 8.b. Easy grace (contrasted with coarseness, rudeness, insensitivity) 8.c. Nameless , but a kind of friendliness (contrasted with irritability and grumpiness) “Association and living together and the fellowship of words and actions.” Truthfulness in speech Social association of a playful kind Social association more generally 9. Proper judgment (contrasted with enviousness, spitefulness, etc.) Attitude to the good and ill fortune of others. 10. The various intellectual virtues, such as perceptiveness, knowledge, etc. Intellectual life. 11. Practical Wisdom The planning of one’s life.

The Relativism Worry Greatness of soul (megalopsuchia) is Aristotle’s virtue concerned with deservedly claiming great external goods, such as honor (ENIV.3). Medial with respect to the vain person (chaunos) who claims much but deserves little, and the small souled person (mikropsuchos) who claims little but deserves much (EN1123b12-13). While Aristotle’s specific description is reminiscent of “a certain sort of Greek gentleman,” Nussbaum argues that the account is objective in the “features of humanness that lie beneath all local traditions.” Nussbaum (1993), 705-6. Various Criticism J.O. Urmson : “[it] reveals what must be a view of the ideal gentleman as visualized by Aristotle and, presumably, by many other upper- and middle-class Greeks of the fourth century BC.” J. Burnet: “parody” of Greek ideals. W. Hardie accepts and apologizes for Aristotle’s alleged relativism: “His moral ideals are the product of his time and cannot be expected to be adequate in the world of today.” W.K.C. Guthrie: “a few such characters (there would never be many) might be no bad thing in a city of excitable Greeks.” Bertrand Russell: “One shudders to think what a vain man [chaunos] would be like.” 22

Greatness of soul: “features of humanness that lie beneath all local traditions.”? Greek megalopsuchia Christian humility Sphere: Attitudes and actions with respect to one’s own worth.

Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree We can revise Aristotle’s theory and maintain an objective Neo-Aristotelian approach to ethical theory. Strongly Agree Agree Somewhat Agree Neutral Somewhat Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree