Perspective Paper

ARISTOTELIAN PERSPECTIVE

“To gain a sense of why it is important to subject morality to philosophical inquiry, we should view morality, not as a collection of rules, but as a set of guidelines that we must apply to the very complex circumstances of our lives.” (Furrow, 2005)As such, each of the theories discussed in CRJU 250 have their strengths and weaknesses, and serve as base – not an absolute - for resolving ethical dilemma. There does not appear to be one all-inclusive theory of moral reasoning.

Aristotle was concerned with character and virtues, thus this perspective is also referred to as a virtue-based theory. The focus of this perspective is on the character of the person and the sort of person one wishes to become.

One should act in a manner that allows one to develop the sought after virtues in him/herself. For according to Aristotle, “In order to live a flourishing life we have to develop all of our capacities and potential.” Virtues promote well-being/happiness. Aristotle’s list of virtues (applicable to justice – (Rachels, 1999) include the following:

Virtues should become acquired habits, thus the person is acting in ways that are conducive to developing his/her full potential. A good/virtuous person is not cultivated over night; rather he/she achieves full-development through the practice of applying the virtues.

Virtue ethics, does not rely on rules, rather it allows the person who is making the decision to use his/her own judgment. Virtue ethics does not focus on actions; rather it provides guidance on developing into good person with good character traits. The question when applying Aristotelian perspective is NOT “what is right?” rather it is “what would a good person do?” This is because the correct/ethical judgment is what a fully-developed virtuous person would do if in the same situation. For using practical wisdom – a.k.a. applying one’s excellent character to a situation is morally right.

PROBLEMS – This perspective is not without criticisms. Aristotle’s list is subjective, shaped by his culture (ancient Athens) and thus many “good” virtues are left off the list. The chief complaint of Aristotelian perspective is that it provides no guidance how to actually act.

Steps (Banks, 2009)

1. How can I be “the best” in my present role? Regardless of the dilemma, I must first ask what kind of person I should become to be the best person I can be in that role.

2. Which virtues will help me become “the best”? I must then ask which virtues will allow me to become the best person I can become. (I will identify which virtues I must practice in this situation and explain to myself why they are relevant to my goals of becoming virtuous and developing good moral character, including integrity, honesty, compassion, courage, duty, and so on. )

3. Weigh the options and select the one that puts into practice my (above selected) virtues. Once I have decided what kind of person I will need to become to be a virtuous person and which virtues I will need to practice to achieve that goal, I must ask myself which option in the dilemma allows me to practice these virtues and explain to myself how this option allows me to practice these virtues and why the other options would not.

4. Applying/practicing the virtues in this case is a start but I need to continue practicing! I will then practice these virtues until they become habit and part of my character so that when ethical dilemmas present themselves to me in future, I will know what to do and will no longer face a dilemma of this kind.

REFERENCES

Banks, C. (2009). Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory and Practice, 2nd Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Furrow, D. (2005). Ethics: Key Concepts in Philosophy. New York: Continuum Books.

Unknown author. (No date). Terms In and Types of Ethical Theory. Drexel University. Retrieved June 14, 2010 from http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~cp28/ethterm.htm.