Ethical Inquiry Discussion Project Virtues and Vices

Return again to the case you have been working on. 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 that 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?

4. Consider your case in light of the doctrine of 'particularism.' Does it seem plausible to you that there is a general principle that applies to your case and to all relevantly similar cases? Or can you imagine factors that would so alter the moral balance of your case that, if they were present, but everything was still as it is described on the handout, a different decision would be called for? (Try to give at least one compelling example of such a factor.)