Ethics Discussion Project Virtues and Vices

Each group will be assigned a hypothetical case. Try to agree on answers to the following questions:

1. What virtues and vices might be relevant to the decision being contemplated in your case? For each virtue that you identify, try to identify two corresponding vices, one a 'deficiency' and the other an 'excess'.

2. Try to explain how these virtues and vices would apply to the specific situation described in your case. That is, for each virtue, say what sort of response would be 'too much', what would be 'not enough' and what would be 'just right'. For example, if your case presented a situation which called for courage, your job would be to say what sort of response would be cowardly, what sort of response would be foolhardy, and what sort of response would be a courageous one, in this particular situation. (Does it seem to be possible to consider the virtues one at a time? Or does identifying the courageous response require you to consider what would be compassionate, or honest, or fair or whatever, at the same time?)

3. Do these virtues all tend to call for the same decision? Or are they in conflict with one another? If they are in conflict, how would you be inclined to resolve the conflict? Does one decision seem to be the more 'virtuous' one, overall?