NDLI: Virtue and Continence

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Eylon, Yuval
Copyright Year	2008
Abstract	John McDowell argued that the virtuous person (VP) knows no temptation: her perception of a situation silences all competing motivations – be it fear in the face of danger or a strong desire. The VP cannot recognize any reason to act non-virtuously as a reason, and is never inclined to act non-virtuously. This view rests on the requirement that the VP rationally respond, and not merely react, to the environment – it rests on the requirement that the relation between the VP and the world (ethical requirements) must rule out the possibility that the VP is a brain in a vat. I will argue that the opposite is true: virtue requires a sensitivity to temptation. The VP, as such, must be able to recognize reasons for performing non-virtuous actions as reasons, and be inclined to perform them. She must find nothing human alien. This is so because the VP must possess the ability to understand non-virtuous agents, and understanding necessarily involves vulnerability to temptation. Otherwise, it will be argued, the VP views the actions of others as determined from outside the space of reasons. But the VP, like any other person, must have the ability to view the actions of others as rational responses to the environment, not only as reactions to it. Put differently, the VP’s view of others must rule out the possibility that they are brains in a vat – the possibility that their actions are merely caused, rather than justified, by the facts. Finally, it will be suggested that an amended conception of the VP can meet both requirements: view others as rationally responsive to the world, without relinquishing its relation to the facts.
Starting Page	137
Ending Page	151
Page Count	15
File Format	PDF
ISSN	13862820
Journal	Ethical Theory and Moral Practice
Volume Number	12
Issue Number	2
e-ISSN	15728447
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Netherlands
Publisher Date	2008-09-16
Publisher Place	Dordrecht
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Akrasia Charity Continence McDowell Perception Reasons qualities Temptation Understanding Values Virtuous person Virtue Ontology Political Philosophy Ethics
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Philosophy Social Sciences

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in

Virtue and Disagreement

Seeing by Feeling: Virtues, Skills, and Moral Perception

Habitual Virtuous Actions and Automaticity

New Directions in Ethics: Naturalisms, Reasons and Virtue

Incontinence and Perception

Virtuous Choice and Parity

Virtue Ethics and the Search for an Account of Right Action

The Case Against Objective Values

Pre-Reflective Ethical Know-How

Virtue and Continence

Similar Documents

Virtue and Disagreement

Seeing by Feeling: Virtues, Skills, and Moral Perception

Habitual Virtuous Actions and Automaticity

New Directions in Ethics: Naturalisms, Reasons and Virtue

Incontinence and Perception

Virtuous Choice and Parity

Virtue Ethics and the Search for an Account of Right Action

The Case Against Objective Values

Pre-Reflective Ethical Know-How

Virtue and Continence