Aristotle's Virtue Ethics and Moral Philosophy
Aristotle's Definition of Virtue
According to Aristotle, virtue is an elective habit consisting of a mean (the middle ground) determined by reason, as a prudent person would define it in each specific case.
The Role of Passions in Virtue
Does virtue cancel the passions? No. Instead, it provides the power to moderate the passions, allowing them to arise to an appropriate extent. Virtue ensures that passions are governed by reason, enabling an individual to engage with reality in an appropriate manner.
Two Cardinal Virtues in Professional Work
Prudence: The Intellectual Virtue
Prudence is a cardinal virtue of the intellectual type that improves intelligence. Its characteristics include:
- Acting as the mother of all cardinal virtues.
- Determining the "middle ground" or mean.
- Serving as the straight measure of what should be done.
- Acting as the measure, manner, and cause of all cardinal virtues.
Temperance: Moderating Sensible Inclinations
Temperance is the cardinal virtue that moderates the concupiscible appetite and passions to follow the dictates of reason. It manages:
- Sensible inclinations related to pleasure.
- Appetite through abstinence.
- Consumption of drinks through sobriety.
- Sexual desire through chastity.
Characteristics of Voluntary Action
According to St. Thomas Aquinas, a voluntary act is that which proceeds from reason and deliberate will. It requires formal knowledge of the end goal and must be born of deliberation.
Types of Voluntary Acts
- Eliciting (Interior): These are conducted through the inner faculties of a human, such as understanding or imagining.
- Mandatory (External): These are born of the will but involve other organs and senses of the body to materialize the act.
Voluntary actions involve two dimensions: Exemplary and Cooperation. Cooperation is further divided into formal and material (which can be proximal or remote).
Criteria for Judging the Morality of Acts
The morality of human acts is judged based on three criteria:
- The Object: The primary matter of the human act.
- The Order (End): The intention or purpose of the act.
- The Circumstances: The secondary elements surrounding the act.
For an act to be morally good, the object, the end, and the circumstances must all be good. If the object is bad, the act is immoral, even if the intentions and circumstances are good.
Professional Secrecy and Confidentiality
Professional secrecy refers to any reality or situation which, by its very nature, requires being known by few or kept hidden. Confidentiality is a type of secret trust in which a person communicates information to a professional under an implicit commitment inherent to the profession.
When to Disclose Professional Secrets
There are three primary excuses for revealing a secret:
- For the good of the person who is involved.
- For one's own good, to defend against serious injury.
- For the good of a third party, to prevent unfair, serious, and irreparable harm.