Verified Document

Virtue Ethics In Christ's Sermon On The Mount Essay

Virtue Ethics

Aristotle notes that if then there is an end for our activity, this will be the good to be accomplished; and if there are several such ends, it will be these (p. 316). In other words, the idea of virtue ethics is that the most moral course of action is that which leads one to his final absolute end, which is happiness. Aristotle suggests that virtue is what can make man happiest. This idea is essentially repeated in Hawthornes story The Great Stone Face, for it is about a succession of people who try to live up to the ideal of the Great Stone Face in the mountains only to have it revealed that they have character flaws which prevent them from being the fulfillment of the local prophecy of one being born who is great enough to be the living embodiment of the Stone Face. The problem with each of the characters is that ultimately he has been living for himself and either some vanity or pride or lack of charity has prevented him from having the kind of benevolence that truly goes with greatness. But Ernest shows this benevolence in...

Yet Ernest waves him off for his end is not to be praised but rather to preach to others. He does not...
…for virtue ethics, even if Aristotle created the idea well before Christ ever existed.

But as the Sermon on the Mount shows, it is Christ who gives the ultimate embodiment of the Great Stone Face of Hawthornes story. Christ is the one who says to love your enemies: he is the one who says, You must be perfectjust as your Father in heaven is perfect (p. 388). What then is happiness and virtue if not the kind of perfection that Christ depicts in this sermon? And how can such happiness, virtue and perfection be attained in this life where everyone is touched by some ailment, some imperfection, some flaw? Obviously it can only come in the next…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Virtue Ethics
Words: 1316 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Virtue Ethics: The Good and the Bad About Virtue Ethics The philosophy of virtue ethics holds that being a 'good person' or what one might call 'character' is the most important determinant of moral action. Virtue ethics is considered to be one of the major philosophical orientations in the field of normative ethics, along with consequentialism and deontology (Hursthouse 2010). Many consider it to be the oldest form of ethics, harkening

Virtue Ethics
Words: 1385 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Virtue Ethics Virtue-based vs. duty-based ethics: arguments and examples from Victor Hugo, Aristotle, Bernard Mayo, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and William Frankena In the study of ethics and morality, there have been theoretical foundations in which it was argued that morality comes with being rather than doing, or that a true moral life is one that is a product of doing instead of being. Or, oftentimes, theoreticians and philosophers contend that morality must bear

Virtue Ethics
Words: 712 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Virtue Ethics and reasoning for the scenario Virtue ethics is the ethical strategy preferred. Efficient leaders and true professionals strive at achieving moral excellence which encompasses integrity, justice, valor and good sense. In the present day, virtue ethics constitutes one among the three key normative ethics strategies. Primarily, it can be considered a strategy which stresses moral fiber or virtues, contrary to consequentialism (which focuses on the consequences one’s actions have)

Virtue Ethics Over the Centuries
Words: 1833 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

This will allow someone to move beyond the different emotions, so that they can be able to see how the different actions will affect the world around them. Despite some of the obvious weaknesses, you can be able to determine the most appropriate course of action, by asking questions and gaining more information. Once this achieved, you will have a greater sense of enlightenment, because you were able to

Virtue Ethics' Refers to the
Words: 926 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

The question here arises, why did we have to return to ancient philosophy of virtue ethics? But interestingly while a great deal of credit is given to Aristotle and Plato, the modern moral philosophers such as Anscombe, Foot, Murdoch, Slote had mentioned in very precise terms the problems they found in Aristotelian ethics. They must have absorbed the writings of ancient philosophers since a lot is said about the moral

Virtue Ethics Virtue Theory, Utilitarianism,
Words: 716 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Deontological ethics are based on other theories that focus on duty and obligation. Immanuel Kant (1785) argued that an individual should "always act in such a way that you can also will that the maxim of your action become universal law" (p. v). It can be argued that Kant's arguments are echoed in a quote often attributed to Ghandi, "Be the change you want to see in the world"

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now