Week Four Discussion 1

An important aspect of Aristotle’s virtue ethics is the idea that virtues are “habits” that we acquire over time, and like any habit, virtues affect not just what we do, but our desires and emotions as well.  Focusing on either Hill’s article or Robinson’s article, how might this be important when discussing environmental ethics or military ethics (focus your discussion on just one of those, but feel free to discuss the other in reply to other people’s posts)? How would a virtue ethicist reply to someone who says that they wish they could do more to express concern for the environment or be more courageous, but are too “weak willed” to do that?  Use examples from the assigned media when appropriate. The total combined word count for all of your posts, counted together, should be over 600 words. 

[Remember, too, that I expect at least one in-text citation to one of the readings – one that has “intellectual teeth” – a reference that says something substantial that you can comment upon, elaborate, and develop further. Always provide the context of your citation, too, and then work to flesh out its fuller implications.  Never assume your citation stands on its own.]