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Martha Nussbaum’s “Non-Relative Virtues: An Aristotelian Approach” Introduction to Ethical theory, Benjamin Visscher Hole IV 240W8L2 1. 2. 3. Clicker Quiz Review Assess Nussbaum’s Aristotelian Approach AGENDA Clicker Quiz Nussbaum claims that at the first stage of ethical inquiry, terms for the virtues should be: 67% 11% 11% 11% 0% 0% 0% in as de sc rip ac tiv co e rd as th a po nc os e ss e w th it h ib le at . th ar w os ha ec e t. on .. ne dra ve w ut n n t io ra fro lb . .. m et en w ee do n xa co . m al p et lo .. ft no he . ne ab of ov th e. e ab ov e. A. as descriptive as possible. B. in accordance with what all rational beings would will C. those that are conventionally used. D. those drawn from endoxa. E. neutral between competing specifications of the virtue. F. all of the above. G. none of the above. Nussbaum claims that the specification of particular virtues: A. will always consist of a single answer. B. might sometimes turn out to be a disjunction. C. is necessarily relative to Aristotle’s culture. D. can be settled in such a way as to be no longer revisable. E. none of the above. 44% 33% 11% m ig al w ay sc on s is ht to so fa m et si. im is .. ne es ce tu ss rn ar ou ily ca .. . re n la be t iv se e tt to le ... d in su ch no a. ne .. of th e ab ov e. 0% ill w 11% According to Nussbaum, the decisions a virtuous person makes: A. will always be responsive to local features of her context. B. should not depend on local features of her context. C. will always be based on abstract general principles about duty. D. will never have negative consequences. E. all of the above. F. none of the above. 89% 11% sb e ul d ay sh o w al ill w 0% 0% 0% re sp no on w t siv de ill e. al pe w . n ay d on sb w e lo ill ba c.. ne se ve d rh on av a. e .. ne ga tiv al e. lo .. ft h no e ab ne ov of e. th e ab ov e. 0% “NON-RELATIVE VIRTUES: AN ARISTOTELIAN APPROACH,” Martha C. Nussbaum REVIEW AND DISCUSS NUSSBAUM Main takeaways from yesterday • How Aristotle’s theory can be used by Neo-Aristotelian virtue ethicists • Universality and context-sensitivity • Moral dilemmas and residue/remainder • The relativism worry • Nussbaum’s program An Aristotelian Program This is Nussbaum’s virtue ethical response to the relativism worry. A two-stage inquiry 1. Isolate a sphere of human experience that figures in more or less any human life, in which nearly everyone will have to make some choices about how to act. 2. Find a correct fuller specification of what it is to act well in that sphere. Nussbaum’s Spheres of Virtue VIRTUE SPHERE 1. Courage Fear of important damages, esp. death. 2. Moderation Bodily appetites and their pleasures. 3. Justice Distribution of limited resources. 4. Generosity Management of one’s personal property where others are concerned. 5. Expansive hospitality Management of one’s personal property where hospitality is concerned. 6. Greatness of soul Attitudes and actions with respect to one’s own worth. 7. Mildness of temper Attitude to slights and damages 8.a. Truthfulness 8.b. Easy grace (contrasted with coarseness, rudeness, insensitivity) 8.c. Nameless , but a kind of friendliness (contrasted with irritability and grumpiness) “Association and living together and the fellowship of words and actions.” a. Truthfulness in speech b. Social association of a playful kind c. Social association more generally 9. Proper judgment (contrasted with enviousness, spitefulness, etc.) Attitude to the good and ill fortune of others. 10. The various intellectual virtues, such as perceptiveness, knowledge, etc. Intellectual life. 11. Practical Wisdom The planning of one’s life. Greatness of soul: “features of humanness that lie beneath all local traditions”? • Greek megalopsuchia • Christian humility Sphere: Attitudes and actions with respect to one’s own worth. We should revise Aristotle’s theory and maintain an objective Neo-Aristotelian approach to ethical theory. A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Somewhat Agree D. Neutral E. Somewhat Disagree F. Disagree G. Strongly Disagree 44% 22% 11% 11% 11% 0% Ag re e ha tA gr ee So Ne m ew ut ra ha l tD isa gr ee Di St sa ro gr ng ee ly Di sa gr ee ew So m St ro ng ly Ag r ee 0% Top-down and bottom-up methodologies General Particular Perceptive Equilibrium • Virtuous agents must negotiate between moral particulars and ethical principles. • Our moral perceptions and ethical principles “hang beautifully together … an equilibrium that is always ready to reconstitute itself in response to the new.” Nussbaum (Love’s Knowledge, 1990), 29, 183. • The metaphor is the ship of Neurath, whose planks can be replaced one by one –just as we can replace our individual beliefs in our belief sets. Nussbaum’s Perceptive Equilibrium A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Somewhat Agree D. Neutral E. Somewhat Disagree F. Disagree G. Strongly Disagree 33% 22% 11% 11% 11% 11% Ag re e ha tA gr ee So Ne m ew ut ra ha l tD isa gr ee D St isa ro gr ng ee ly Di sa gr ee ew So m St ro ng ly Ag r ee 0% An Aristotelian Program A two-stage inquiry 1. Isolate a sphere of human experience that figures in more or less any human life, in which nearly everyone will have to make some choices about how to act. 2. Find a correct fuller specification of what it is to act well in that sphere. Objection 1 Objection: Even if we settle on a single subject matter (how to behave in a particular sphere of human experience), this does not establish that there is a single correct answer. Reply: There might be many concrete specifications of the virtues, in connection with local conditions. Objection 1 to Nussbaum’s Aristotelian Program A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Somewhat Agree D. Neutral E. Somewhat Disagree F. Disagree G. Strongly Disagree 50% 25% 13% 0% ew Ag re e ha tA gr ee So Ne m ew ut ra ha l tD isa gr ee Di St sa ro gr ng ee ly Di sa gr ee 0% So m St ro ng ly Ag r ee 0% 13% Objection 2 Objection: The allegedly shared human experiences are in fact differently constructed by different cultures. Reply: This is true, but we can nonetheless identify certain features of our common humanity that are nearly universally shared, including mortality, pain and pleasure, and practical reason. Objection 2 to Nussbaum’s Aristotelian Program A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Somewhat Agree D. Neutral E. Somewhat Disagree F. Disagree G. Strongly Disagree 22% 11% 22% 22% 11% 11% Ag re e ha tA gr ee So Ne m ew ut ra ha l tD isa gr ee D St isa ro gr ng ee ly Di sa gr ee ew So m St ro ng ly Ag r ee 0% Gary Watson’s Dilemma Horn One • An ethical theory grounded in human experience is morally indeterminate Horn Two • An ethical theory grounded in human experience is circular