What is the relation (if any) between virtue and human flourishing?

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

5 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

01/16/2009

Category :

Philosophy & literature

Sub category :

Humanities/philosophy

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Summary :

Introduction.
Virtues.
1. A character trait which makes its possessor good.
2. Distinguishing between virtues, moral motivation and utilitarianism?
3. Julia Annas and the central role of reasoning in the application of the virtues.
4. We cannot practise virtues without living with other people.
The claim that living virtuously is the way to achieve eudaimonia.
1. The problem of universality.
2. The misunderstanding of eudaimonia.
3. Living virtuously implies another constraint: The dilemma issue.
The relationship between virtues and human flourishing through different approaches.
1. Utilitarianism and the way we cultivate the virtues.
2. The role of moral luck.
Conclusion.
Bibliography.

Abstract

When you shout at a passer-by in the street, and ask him what would be the most important goal in his life, he is likely to answer, like a majority of people that he wants to live happily. Then, we should raise the question: how could we achieve this happiness? More than two thousand years ago, the forerunners of the Greek Philosophy, Plato and more predominantly Aristotle, have introduced the claim of virtue ethics and the concept of eudaimonia which helped to demonstrate the link between virtues and human flourishing. Indeed, the Greek word eudaimonia can be translated as 'happiness' or 'human flourishing'. For this essay, I would rather use the designation human flourishing as happiness seems a bit too vague and inaccurate. But let us get back to our real aim: is there a link between virtue and human flourishing? And if so, how do virtues affect human flourishing?