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Arête
Definition
Goodness, excellence, or virtue. From the Greek word for a mountain ridge
Aristotle
Definition
Leading Greek philosopher in numerous disciplines; his work Nicomachean Ethics articulates the arguments behind virtue ethics.
Compassion fatigue
Definition
When people stop thinking, worrying about, or supporting a cause or issue because the problem has continued for too long and they don’t believe they can do anything to solve it.
Contractarian
Definition
Theories (such as ideas from Kant, Locke, and Rousseau) that justify moral principles by appealing to a social contract that is voluntarily committed to under ideal conditions for such commitment. Contracted Relationships Interactions b
Ethics of care
Definition
Feminist theory based on interdependence of all individuals for achieving their interests, belief that those vulnerable to choices and their outcomes deserve extra consideration, and the necessity of attending to the details of the situation in order to promote the actual specific interests of those involved. The theory challenges norms of justice, balance, and neutrality, claiming that these are perspectives promulgated by males or the privileged. (See “Feminist Ethics,” “Morality of Care”).
Eudaimonia
Definition
Contented state of being fulfilled, healthy, prosperous and flourishing. The best possible living, according to Aristotle. (For giggles, say “life, liberty, and the pursuit of eudaimonia” next time you recite the U.S. Declaration of Independence.)
Feminist ethics
Definition
Maintains that the way to sustain relationships and community is through dialogue and with sensitivity. (See “Ethics of Care,” “Morality of Care”)
Gilligan, Carol
Definition
Feminist moral psychologist whose book In a Different Voice articulated the ethics of care.
Golden Rule
Definition
Prescription for consistency in sustaining interdependent relationships; it requires a high degree of empathy and a commitment to fairness.
Justice
Definition
A prima facie duty: The act of being just, impartial, or fair. We should ensure an equitable distribution of reward, pleasure, and other good insofar as it is within our power to give. It should be distributed on the basis of merit and need, not tit for tat.
MacIntyre, Alasdair
Definition
Twentieth-century American social philosopher who revisited and revised Aristotle’s notions of virtue ethics.
Moral reciprocity
Definition
Mutual respect, caring, compassion, etc., as reflected in most versions of the Golden Rule.
Moral reciprocity
Definition
Mutual respect, caring, compassion, etc., as reflected in most versions of the Golden Rule.
Original position
Definition
According to Rawls, it describes the condition people should be in when they begin to develop their notions of fairness and justice; the starting point, with a level playing field, that exists as people go under the veil of ignorance.
Phronesis
Definition
Practical virtue, practical wisdom, or moral knowledge.
Rawls, John
Definition
Harvard political theorist and author of A Theory of Justice, a contractarian view about fairness and justice. A major contribution was his “veil of ignorance.”
Social contract
Definition
Individuals freely enter contractual commitment to friends, family, and work. An agreement among members of society or between the governed and the government defining and limiting rights. (See “Contractarian,” “Justice,” “Rawls,” and “Locke”)
Third-person effect
Definition
A theory that says most people believe that they are less affected by media than other people (Davison, 1983).
Veil of ignorance
Definition
A technique used by John Rawls to help assure fairness and justice in decision making. Stakeholders’ original biases or positions are hidden behind a veil during negotiations.
Virtue
Definition
A disposition, habit, quality, or trait of the person or soul, which an individual either has or seeks to have.
Virtue ethics
Definition
An approach to ethics that focuses on a person’s moral character. Through practice and role models, a person learns to lead a life of strong moral habits.
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