CLASSICAL PHILOSOPHERS AND PHILOSOPHIES 11 SPECIFIC VIRTUES

1. PLATO – at one time in the history of western 1. Courage

philosophy, theories of higher reality were 2. Temperance
common place. The most influential of these as 3. Liberality
offered by the ancient greek philosopher Plato 4. Magnificence
5. Honor
 (428-348 b.c)
6. Good temper
 Student of Socrates
7. Friendliness
 Plato ranks among the greatest
8. Truthfulness
philosophers of western civilization.
9. Wit
 Inspired by math, Plato held that moral
10. Friendship
values are objectives in the sense that
11. Justice
they exist in a SPIRIT-like realm beyond
subjective human conventions. He held
 According to Aristotle, it is not an easy
that they are absolute or eternal in that
task to find the perfect mean between
they never change and also that they
extreme character traits.
are universal in so far as they apply to
all rational creatures around the world 3. IMMANUEL KANT – was born @ Konigsbery
and throughout the time. He noted that on 422/724.
moral values are absolute truths and
 Kantian ethics – emphasizes a single
thus are also abstract, spirit like
principle deity. Influenced by
entities.
PUFENDORF, Kant agreed that we hate
Plato’s moral values are spiritual objects. moral duties

Virtue is knowledge, which is tantamount of

this, vice is ignorance whence the conclusion is
inevitable.

“No evil deed is willfully done and therefore, no

man is to be blame for being wicked”

2. ARISTOTLE – born in 384/3 BC @ Staguira in

Thrace.

 Son of Nicomachus, a physician of the

macedonian king Amyntas II.
 He was 17 yrs old when he went to
academy in 368/7 BC.
 His mentor is plato.
 Ethics of Aristotle is TELEOLOGICAL
(greek word TELOS= end)
 Aristotle sees himself to discover what
the good is and what science
corresponds to it.