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Single Idea 5237

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / c. Particularism ]

Full Idea

It is not easy to define by rule how, and how far, a person may go wrong before he incurs blame; because this depends upon particular circumstances, and the decision lies with our perception.

Gist of Idea

We cannot properly judge by rules, because blame depends on perception of particulars

Source

Aristotle (Nicomachean Ethics [c.334 BCE], 1126b04)

Book Ref

Aristotle: 'Ethics (Nicomachean)', ed/tr. ThomsonJ A K/TredennickH [Penguin 1976], p.162

A Reaction

This is a key objection to Kantian approaches to morality. Aristotle does not flatly deny the role of rules (indeed, he is a great endorser of the law), but this shows why virtues of character are a better guide than rules can ever be.

The 18 ideas with the same theme [there are no rules, so we must attend to details]:

4369 It is not universals we must perceive for virtue, but particulars, seen as intrinsically good [Aristotle, by Achtenberg]
5158 Actions concern particular cases, and rules must fit the cases, not the other way round [Aristotle]
5237 We cannot properly judge by rules, because blame depends on perception of particulars [Aristotle]
23362 All human ills result from failure to apply preconceptions to particular cases [Epictetus]
20134 Moralities extravagantly address themselves to 'all', by falsely generalising [Nietzsche]
24109 Actual morality is more complicated and subtle than theory (which gets paralysed) [Nietzsche]
2935 No two actions are the same [Nietzsche]
22475 Moral generalisation is wrong, because we should evaluate individual acts [Nietzsche, by Foot]
9256 I see the need to pay a debt in a particular instance, and any instance will do [Prichard]
9257 The complexities of life make it almost impossible to assess morality from a universal viewpoint [Prichard]
9262 The mistake is to think we can prove what can only be seen directly in moral thinking [Prichard]
5908 Prima facie duties rest self-evidently on particular circumstance [Ross]
18671 The ground for an attitude is not a thing's 'goodness', but its concrete characteristics [Ewing]
22343 If I attend properly I will have no choices [Murdoch]
21025 Particularism gives no guidance for the future [Nussbaum]
18664 Maybe the particularist moral thought of women is better than the impartial public thinking of men [Kymlicka]
20214 Virtue theory can have lots of rules, as long as they are grounded in virtues and in facts [Zagzebski]
4336 Any strict ranking of virtues or rules gets abandoned when faced with particular cases [Hursthouse]