Can one learn to be a good person? What does it mean to be a good person? This course explores the notions of virtue and character from both ancient and contemporary perspectives. After looking at Plato’s and Aristotle’s corresponding approaches, the course is chiefly concerned with critically assessing the recent revival of ancient virtue ethics by philosophers such as Elizabeth Anscombe, Iris Murdoch, Philippa Foot, John McDowell, Alasdair MacIntyre, Rosalind Hursthouse, and Martha Nussbaum. Topics of discussion include whether or not virtue of character is a suitable foundation for ethics, what distinguishes virtue ethics from deontological and consequentialist approaches, whether virtue is a fundamental, irreducible notion, or whether virtues can be defined in terms of the consequences they yield or rather as character traits of those people who act according to moral duties. The course also addresses contemporary objections to virtue ethics from empirical psychology as well as from feminism.
This course requires no previous knowledge of the topic, and will be in English. It is held online (via Zoom). Readings will be made available electronically (via HU Moodle).
Recommended introductory reading: Rosalind Hursthouse’s and Glen Pettigrove’s Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry “Virtue Ethics” (2016): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/.
A syllabus and a bibliography will be distributed in the first session (on 4 November, 12:15 p.m.).
- Course owner: Benjamin Wilck