Deck 12: Virtue Ethics: Aristotle

Question 1

Imagine that you were to serve as trainer to Milo of Croton,a famous wrestler in the ancient world.Of particular importance is that,given his extensive training,Milo receives the proper amount of food to sustain his athletic activities.According to Aristotle,how would you best determine Milo's nutritional needs?

A) by consulting with the scholars at the Academy
B) by asking Milo how much food he would prefer
C) through consideration of what other athletes eat
D) by examining how much is too little and too much for Milo,then aiming for a middle point

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Imagine that Clara is outgoing and friendly.Which of the following is Aristotle's MOST likely take on her character?

A) Her friendliness does not provide an advantage in attaining virtue.
B) Her friendliness does provide an advantage in attaining virtue.
C) She will be unable to attain virtuousness.
D) She has already attained virtuousness.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is an attribute of the virtuous person according to Aristotle?

A) reacts instinctively to resolve a problem
B) deliberates well to see salient features of the situation
C) follows correct moral rules
D) does not respond emotionally to moral dilemmas

Answer 3

C

Question 4

According to Aristotle,the virtuous agent must give up earthly pleasures and devote oneself to a life of quiet contemplation.

Question 5

What do the Greeks mean by phronesis?

A) practical wisdom
B) love of wisdom
C) substantive change/corruption
D) something that instills belief/faith

Question 6

How does Hursthouse come to her position that abortion reveals a situation with objective truth but subjective positionality?

Question 7

In the realm of morality,Aristotle is MOSTLY concerned with which of the following?

A) what sort of actions we should take
B) what sort of people we should be
C) the nature of wrong actions
D) how to resolve moral dilemmas

Question 8

Aristotle's view of morality is similar to Kant's in which of the following ways?

A) He uses the golden mean as a formula or procedure for making moral decisions,much like Kant uses the categorical imperative.
B) Like Kant,Aristotle says morality requires "acting from duty."
C) They both approach moral theorizing as a way of discovering how to live "a good human life."
D) They are not similar because Kant provides a moral theory;strictly speaking,Aristotle does not.

Question 9

In Greek legends the twins Kleobis and Biton are celebrated for having died at the right moment.They had finished pulling their mother in a cart to a religious temple,had a feast,laid down to rest,and both died.Their deaths are perhaps in keeping with which of the following?

A) ethos
B) etymology
C) eupatheia
D) eudaimonia

Question 10

Imagine that Aristotle is coaching Porter the bridle-maker on what it means to live a complete life.Which of the following would Aristotle say is Porter's ultimate function?

A) making bridles
B) flourishing
C) horsemanship
D) artistry

Question 11

Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment in the early 1960s that examined a person's obedience in performing an action that would generally be considered wrong.(The experiment involved the appearance of electroshocking another individual. )The experiment found that a high number of people would act against their conscience if directed to do so by an authority figure.Discuss the implications of this study on Aristotle's understanding of moral character.

Question 12

Why is a proper education so important for Aristotle's theory?

A) in order for the wisdom of a society to be passed well onto the next generation
B) because agents must be healthy in body as well as mind
C) so that someone knows the right action and takes pleasure in it
D) to serve as a purposeful distraction from the chaos of adolescence

Question 13

It is important for Aristotle that an ethical agent's education be as free from error as possible.

Question 14

The chapter contrasts Aristotle's belief that material wealth makes it easier to flourish with the Christian tradition that the impoverished are blessed.Do you believe that economic status-of either extreme-has an impact on one's ability to become virtuous?

Question 15

Consider the case of someone like Stephen Hawking,a brilliant physicist who has been largely paralyzed by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease).Which of the following MOST closely aligns with what Aristotle calls the common understanding of happiness?

A) He is incapable of becoming truly happy.
B) His scientific success replaces the loss of mobility.
C) His paralysis hampers his ability to flourish.
D) His paralysis assists in his ability to flourish.

Question 16

The chapter examines Aristotle's belief that some people are "slaves by nature." Briefly explain his argument and why Wolff finds it to be invalid.