17d ago in Words of Wisdom
The Virtuous Character (4 mins)
"You didn't come here to make the choice, you already made it."
Is a quote which resonated with me from the film The Matrix. It is somewhat relevant to an essay I am currently working on regarding virtue ethics.
Simply, virtue ethics tells us we ought to act like a "virtuous agent." Someone who exercises virtues in the given circumstances and in doing so produces the desired "right" action and to the ultimate goal of human flourishing (Eudaimonia if you're interested).
In layman's terms, the more virtuous a person you are, the more your actions will be right. Take the person who jumps into the river to save a drowning child: It takes a courageous person to do this, but the point I take from it is as follows: You probably don't decide there and then to muster up courage, you are either someone capable of courage, or you are not. You either have the self-belief you can save the child, or you don't.
In a split second, you either jump, or you don't. However, this decision was already made. The person we are in that moment will dictate the action we take.
In Aristotelian ethics, one takeaway is to practice virtues (wisdom, prudence, justice, fortitude, courage, liberality, magnificence, magnanimity, temperance if you're interested) and to know when and how to apply the virtues (Phronesis if you're interested) so you can achieve human flourishing. Stepping back from normative ethics, and back into real-world scenarios, you can imagine that when you arrive at a cross-roads, or a challenge, or face an adversary: Success of failure, your fate has already been decided. You already made the decision.
In a comforting way, this means that if you are the type of person who has prepared themselves for the challenge, you will find little hardship in exercising the strength of your character, you made the decision to succeed. However, if you reach the cross-roads and you're not prepared, not the person who was ready to deal with the circumstance; well you already made the choice to fail.
In a literal example, you don't turn up to a ballot and decide there and then who you are going to vote for. You will have cultivated ideals and preferences and these will align with a candidate, who will enjoy your vote. You didn't decide then and there, you decided when you cultivated your character, with each tiny micro-decision that makes you who you are right now.
These small micro-decisions make up who you are. When you get to the exam hall, you've already decided whether you passed or failed. When you see the girl you like, the decision has been made if you will speak to her or not.
Build up your character so that you can sufficiently handle the challenges you will inevitably face. What is the next challenge for you? And what decision have you made? Are you the person who succeeds, or the person who fails? Have you sufficiently cultivated your character? The choice is yours and you can begin making it today.
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The Virtuous Character (4 mins)
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