VIRTUE ETHICS: SOCRATES, PLATO AND ARISTOTLE

VIRTUE ETHICS: SOCRATES, PLATO AND ARISTOTLE. Virtue Ethics focuses on the character of the person and virtues he manifests. In this view the person must reflect the appropriate moral virtues and integrity in making decisions rather the focus on reasons for doing the action..

DEONTOLOGICAL ETHICS ( motive/principle). VIRTUE ETHICS (heart/character).

SOCRATES (470-399 B.C.E). Socrates was born in Athens, Greece in the year 469 B.C.E. His father was a stonemason and his mother was a midwife. He was known to have an “ugly” physical appearance but he saw not his physical defects and believed that the inner beauty is that of the soul. Socrates’ search was for ideas about the soul he examined his life and the lives of his fellow Athenians during his adult stage. He was imprisoned for “not worshiping the gods created by the states” and was accused of “corrupting the minds of the youth of Athens” as stated by Anytus who was an antagonistic politician. He was then sentenced to death by Meletus , the prosecutor..

(Moral excellence) is identical with knowledge.. (Moral Evil) is identical with ignorance (lack of moral knowledge)..

Socrates’ stand on the third tenet states that “ no one commits an evil act knowingly and doing wrong arises out of ignorance.” The reason for this is that sometimes, a person may have knowledge but he deliberately commits an evil act to satisfy his hidden motive. Thus, a person should not use ignorance to excuse himself in doing evil. But on the other hand, Socrates stated that a person will commit only moral evil if he lacks moral knowledge..

PLATO (428-348 B.C.E). Plato was also born in Athens, Greece in the year 428 B.C.E. Among his relatives were Solon, Athens’ famous lawgiver and also believed to be one of the kings of Athens. His given name was Aristocles but he earned the name “Plato” which means “broad” or “wide” due to his physical attributes like his wide forehead and wide shoulder. During his younger years, Plato had excellent performance in mathematics, music, poetry and wrestling. Plato followed the trial of his friend and mentor, Socrates. After Socrates’ death, he left Athens and studied the Pythagorean mathematics. Plato went back to Athens he then founded a school of philosophy which was named after the Greek hero Acamedus which later became known as the “Academy.” His university lasted for almost 900 years until Emperor Justinian closed it in the year 529 A.D Plato died in 348 B.C.E..

Knowing the forms . For Plato, these are eternal or universal principles and perfect ideas. Plato maintained that all things in the physical world are symbols of these perfect Forms in the world of ideas. Plato also believed that people are born to be intrinsically good. However, they make judgments through the irrational part of the soul. This then results to a moral conflict. Morality means waking up the reason to its true purpose in the virtuous soul, reason must control the appetites. Also reason must direct the will away from the sensuous pleasures to move toward direct eternal ideas..

CRITIQUE ON PLATO’S PHILOSOPHY. Plato’s ethical philosophy can be applied in business. For example, in business decision making, an outcome is acceptable only if it is done in the light of reasonable process according to Plato’s concept of a virtuous act..

ARISTOTLE (384-322 B.C.E.). Aristotle was born in Stageira , Thrace in 348 B.C.E. His father was the physician of the king of Macedonia and his mother came form a family of physicians. Because of his parents’ attributes, Aristotle developed interests in Biology and science. His parents decided to send him to Plato’s Academy. At that time, he was 17 years old and Plato was 61 years old. He remained in the Academy for 20 years both as a teacher and student. Because of Aristotle’s prolific intelligence, he earned the reputation as the “mind of the university.”.

ETHICAL PHILOSOPHY. According to Aristotle, we must take the “middle way” or the mean between two extremes. Aristotle also rejected all forms of imbalance. We must not only develop our mind, but also our body. Virtue comes from the ability to govern excessive or lack of feelings. The Golden Mean Principle simply states that “to be happy, one must live a life of moderation.” This means in everything that we do, we must avoid doing the extremes..

The principle of Aristotle can be use in production planning and inventory control – finished goods and raw materials must be carefully controlled so that the company will not incur too much cost ..

THANK YOU!. Group Members: Arianne Hermenegildo Monica Iniwan Jhona Lumasac Mikee Lumasac Jerrimy Magno Princess Eunesca Mawhala.