Kaj_Sotala comments on Virtue Ethics for Consequentialists - Less Wrong

33 Post author: Will_Newsome 04 June 2010 04:08PM

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Comment author: Kaj_Sotala 05 June 2010 01:18:05AM 0 points [-]

I don't think biologically realistic is the expression you were looking for.

But ethical systems can be for manipulating others, or for manipulating yourself. In the case of virtue ethics, it's mainly for yourself.

Comment author: timtyler 05 June 2010 07:26:08AM *  1 point [-]

Sure it was. My perspective would be a bit different: all human moral systems have a hefty component of manipulation and punishment. Virtue ethics does so - if anything - more than most - because punishment is often aimed at preventing reoffense (either by acting as a deterrent, or by using incarceration) - and so punishers are often unusually interested in the offending agent's dispositions - despite the difficulty of extracting them.