Moral Realism

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Moral Realism

The three questions

The modern philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre proposed three questions as being at the heart of moral thinking:

How ought I to get there?

Who ought I to become?

Who am I?

Character-based ethics

A good person is someone who lives virtuously - who possesses and lives the virtues.

A right act is the action a virtuous person would do in the same circumstances.

Lists of the virtues

The traditional list of cardinal virtues was:

Temperance

Fortitude / Bravery

Justice

Prudence

Principles

Virtue ethics teaches:

A virtue is a moral characteristic that a person needs to live well.

A person acts virtuously if they "possess and live the virtues"

A virtuous person is a person who acts virtuously

An action is only right if it is an action that a virtuous person would carry out in the same circumstances.