STUDENT’S COPY

SUBJECT ETHICS CODE GE6 EXAM Pre-final

LEARNING  Define virtue as excellence COURSE AND SECTION:

OUTCOMES  Explain the human soul and each BSCS1, BSCRIM1,
element. BEED1, BSED1
 Differentiate between moral and TEACHER’S NAME:
intellectual virtue JAIRAN N. IMDANI
TOPIC Aristotle’s Idea of the Soul/ Virtue Ethics TEACHER’S CONTACT #:
0945-468-0566
REFERENCE/S Oscar G. Bulaong Jr. Mark Joseph T. Calano Albert M. Lagliva, Michael E.
Mariano Jesus Deogracias Z. Principe, ETHICS Foundations of Moral
Valuation. Pp., REX BOOK STORE, INC.

CONCEPT NOTE MODULE 6

One theory that can possibly provide a comprehensive understanding of how an individual can
develop moral character is virtue Ethics

Virtue Ethics is the ethical framework that is concerned with understanding the good as a
matter of a person. Previous chapter emphasized different aspect of ethics; consequences of an
act for utilitarianism, natural inclinations for natural law, and autonomy for deontology. Virtue ethics,
on the other hand, focuses on the formation of one’s character brought about by determining and
doing virtuous acts. The two major thinkers of ancient Greece, Plato and Aristotle, book entitled
Nicomachean ethics is the first comprehensive and programmatic study of virtue ethics.

Both Plato and Aristotle affirm rationality as the highest faculty of a person and having such
characteristic enables a person to realize the very purpose of her existence. But the end, they differ
in their appreciation of reality and nature, which, in turn, results in their contrasting stand on what
the ethical principle should be.

HAPPINESS AND ULTIMATE PURPOSE:

 Aristotle begins his discussion of ethics by showing that every act that a person does is
directed toward a particular purpose, aim, or what the Greek called Telos.
 There is a purpose why one does something, and for Aristotle, person’s action manifests a
good that she aspires for.
 Every pursuit of a person hopes to achieve a good. (one eats for the purpose for good to
give sustenance to the body).
 Hierarchy of teloi (plural Telos) – the different good that one pursues to achieve the
highest purpose. An individual does actions and pursuits in life and correspondingly each of
these activities has different aims.
- One does an act not only to achieve a particular purpose but also believes such purpose
can be utilized for a higher goal or activity, which then can be used to achieve an even
higher purpose and so on.
- Criteria in order for one to recognize the highest good of man:
first, the highest good of a person must be final,
second, the ultimate telos of a person must be self-sufficient.
- The Satisfaction in life is arrived at once this highest good is attained
- Considered the best possible good in life. (the goal of remembering the lesson in the
course is not yet the best possible goo because a person can still seek for other more
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 satisfying goal in her life).
 Eudaimonia or Happiness– the highest purpose and the ultimate good man is happiness
- Happiness for Aristotle is the only self-sufficient aim that one can aspire for.
- No amount of wealth or power can be more fulfilling than having achieved the condition
of happiness

 VIRTUE AS EXCELLENCE
- Excellent way of doing things is called virtue or arete by the Greeks.

- Virtue or excellence is what a person strives for their life and does not become an
excellent overnight.
- Being virtuous cannot accomplished by a single act. Being an excellent individual works
on doing well in her day-to-day existence.

 Aristotle says that excellence is an activity of a HUMAN SOUL.

 Human soul is the essence of a person, it is you as a person. It makes who you are and
that will live on after your death.

 The human soul is divided into two parts:

1. Irrational element
2. Rational element

 IRRATIONAL ELEMENT
 This part of the man is not in the realm where virtue is not exercised because it cannot be
dictated by reason. contains the non-intellectual functions of the soul, such as nutrition,
respiration, passion or feeling and desire. But these parts "overlap" to some degree.

 Irrational Element consist of vegetative and appetitive aspect

1. Vegetative aspect functions as giving nutrition and providing the activity of
physical growth in a person. Does not have the capacity to receive or react to
sense impression or for the capacity of the rational thought.
2. Appetitive aspect function is to governs desire or work as a desiring faculty of
man. It “partakes of reason insofar as it complies with reason and accepts its
leadership”. It is partly rational (because it can be trained to follow reason) and
partly irrational (because it is not itself a faculty of thought).

 RATIONAL ELEMENT
 Part includes our intellectual capacities: our reasoning and understanding, and our ability to
make judgments. In this part one can rightly or wrongly apply the reason.

 This faculty is further divided into two aspects:

1. Moral, which concerns the act of doing (pag-uugali)
2. Intellectual, which concerns the act of knowing. (kaalaman)
 These two aspects are basically where the function of reason is exercised.

 Person can attain excellence is in the intellectual faculty through teaching.

- Through time, one learns from the vast experiences in life where she gains knowledge
on these things.
- One learns and gains wisdom by being taught or by learning.
 There are two ways by which one can attain intellectual excellence: philosophical and
practical.
1. Philosophic wisdom deals with attain knowledge about the fundamental principles
and truths that govern the universe (e.g., general theory on the origins of things).
- It helps one understand in general the meaning of life.
2. Practical wisdom, on the other hand, is an excellence in knowing the right conduct in
carrying out a particular act.
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 - One can attain a wisdom that can provide us with a guide on how to behave in our daily
lives.
 Knowing the good is different from determining and acting on what is good. But a morally
good person has to achieve the intellectual virtue of practical wisdom to perform the task of
being moral.
 Character then becomes the identification mark of the person. For instance, when one is
habitually opts to be courteous to others and regularly shows politeness in the way she
relates to others, others would start recognizing her as a well-mannered person. On the
other hand, when one habitually chooses to be rude to others and repeatedly demonstrates
vulgar and foul acts, she develops an image of an ill-mannered person. (the Filipino term
pag-uugali precisely reflects the meaning of moral character. One can have mabuting pag-
uugali (good character) or masamang paguugali (Bad character).)

 Moral Virtue and Mesotes or (middle, intermediate)

- A practical wisdom involves learning from experiences. Knowledge is not inherent to a
person. Knowing the right thing to do when one is confronted by a choice is not easy.
One needs to develop this knowledge by exercising the faculty of practical reason in her
daily life.
- In attaining practical wisdom, she may initially make mistakes on how reason is applied
to a particular moral choice or action.
- The middle become the proper tools by which one can arrive at the proper way of doing
things.
- A morally virtuous person targets the mesotes. The task of targeting the mean is always
difficult because every situation is different from one another.
- Thus, the mesotes is constantly moving depending on the circumstance where she is in.
- The mean is not the same for all individuals. According to Aristotle the mean is simply an
arithmetical proportion. The one who is involve seriously looking into the determination of
the mean.
- An individual cannot be good at doing something haphazardly but reason demands a
continuous habituation of a skill to perfect the act.

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TEACHER’S COPY

ETHICS GE.6 – WORKSHEET- 6

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Name Score
Year & Section Date
ACTIVITY 1

ASSESSMENT Identification:
Read and understand the following. Identify the correct answer in the
given statement and write your answer on the space provided.

____________1. This kind of wisdom can attain through experience on his/her daily life.

____________2. Parts of irrational element where it cannot dictate by reason.

____________3. Sexual impulses are one of the examples of what part of irrational element?

____________4. Greek word of excellence.

____________5. Kind of wisdom concern about the knowledge of the general constitute reality.

ACTIVITY 2
1. Explain the statement of Aristotle “Knowing the good is different from determining and acting
on what is good”.

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

2. How can someone make morally virtuous act, is it through intellectual virtue or practical
wisdom or both way?

ETHICS GE.6 – WORKSHEET- 5

Name Score
Year & Section Date
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 ACTIVITY 1
ASSESSMENT
Directions: Answer the following question based on the module presented.
1. What people fundamental desire? 5points
Ans:

2. What is the Nature of good life.? Give the definition of Plato’s interpretation of Good Life vs.
Aristotle meaning of Good life.10pts

Ans:

3. Define Happiness from Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle true meaning of Happiness. 5pts

HAPPIINESS is:

4. What are the two major principle of Aristotle ethics? Briefly define each principle. 10pts.

1) .

2) .

5. What is the Golden mean and the two Vices? Cite an example for your explanation. 20pts

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6. Do you think that doing virtuous act once you can attain happiness? Or should it have done
habitually. Which do you prepare? Justify your answer. 5pts