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Alasdair Macintyre virtueethics

Criticised meta-ethics by saying we have

been left in a moral vacuum. Macintyre

reasoned that instead of debating rightand wrong, morality should be

approached historically.

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Morality gone?

Primarily Macintyre argues thatmorality has lost its way. He suggeststhat people no longer look at what is

right rather what is less wrong.People have to choose to abandontheir principles or allow harm to cometo others. This is a tough choice that

quite simply people cannot bebothered to make. In this sensemorality has lost its way.

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Look at History!

Macintyre urges people to get involved withthe history of ethics before looking atrecent ethical theories. He believed that

understanding the historical context ofethics is fundamental prior to application

You need to appreciate the 'narrative

context' (seeing the development ofethics as a story).

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How do you feel about thisstatement, do you agree withabortion?

A girl has become pregnant

and had an abortion

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Why find out the context?

if we are talking about an ethical issue, such as thegirlwho became pregnant and had an abortion, wehave to find out about the context of the issue prior tosaying

In this particular case, the Nicaraguan 9-year old girlcame from a Catholic country where abortion is illegalin all circumstances. The doctors who carried out theabortion were condemned by the Church, andexcommunicated themselves Following this, tens ofthousands of Nicaraguans excommunicatedthemselves from the church.

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So

Looking at the context of the ethicaldilemma has allowed us to see aclearer picture and realise we were

too quick to judge without knowing allthe facts.

Finding out about the context ofan issue helps us understand thedecisions people make.

hi i h diff i i d

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This is why different societies andcultures have differing moralstandards

Virtues differ in each country andsociety through time progression.Macintyre suggests that virtues aredependent on solving the problems ofvarious people and the context of thesociety.

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The Homeric virtues included physical strength,courage, cunning and friendship.

In small tribal communities, cunning, strength, evenruthlessness may be virtuous.

As villages developed into large cities, these virtueschanged.

The Athenian virtues included Justice andTemperance, and physical strength was no longer soimportant. Whereas cunning used to be prized, more

value would now be put on Wisdom, the sort ofunderstanding of human behaviour that couldnavigate through complex conflicts that might arisewith so many people living together

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MacIntyre calls the virtues or qualitiesof character 'internal goods' He sayswe also place value on 'externalgoods' . Aristotle would have agreedhere .

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To summarise Macintyre

he says that we value differentqualities of character, practices andphysical things, and that byunderstanding historical and socialcontext, we can understand ethicalissues that arise.