How Aristotle's virtue ethics describe the good and virtuous human being

  1. How does Aristotle's virtue ethics describe the good and virtuous human being? How does it determine the proper mean of an action? Do other philosophers, such as Immanuel Kant, J.S. Mill, and Virginia Held, support virtue ethics? Stress Mill's description of virtue and provide arguments from readings to show that you are right. 2. To what was J.S. Mill referring when he said, "It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied"? Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? What would Aristotle, Kant, and Held think about it? Justify your claims. 3. Does analyzing a moral problem from the perspective of Virginia Held's ethics of care yield a different result than that obtained by using a Kantian or utilitarian standard? Is the ethics of care by Held a form of virtue ethics? Explain your answer in some detail. 4. Kant says that to act morally is to act out of duty. How does this differ from the virtue ethics approach, the utilitarian approach, and the ethics of care approach? Are you likely to admire someone who always acts out of duty alone? Why or why not?

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