Capstone Papers-Putting Virtue Ethics to the Test
1. The question virtue ethics tries to answer is: “How should I live?” The answer is: “Flourish by cultivating your virtues!” But what is a virtue? Is it a feature of our character? Is it a disposition to act in a certain way in determinate situations? Is it something more complex? What are the strengths and weaknesses of virtue ethics?
2. In the Apology, what is Socrates’ view of death? How it is possible that Socrates, having been condemned to death, still believes that “a good person can suffer no evil.”
3. You’re in the Fitzgerald Parking Garage and walking toward your car. You notice a wallet next to a car door three cars down from where you’re parked. No one is around. You look around to see if anyone is heading for their car. There’s no one. The place is absolutely empty. You pick up the wallet and find $600 in cash in it, plus driver’s license, student I.D., and some credit cards. You could easily take the cash and put the wallet back down on the ground, or could there be other options open to you? What do you do? How do virtue ethics impact your decision?
4. You have just fallen for your best friend’s girlfriend/boyfriend. You know your friend is crazy about this young person — that’s all your friend talks about. Your friend has even brought up marriage as a possibility. But when your best friend brings their girlfriend/boyfriend over all you can think about is her/him.
