Introduction to Virtue Ethics Insights of the Ancient Greeks Introduction to Virtue Ethics Insights of the Ancient Greeks RAYMOND J. DE VETTERE Georgetown University Press / Washington, D.C. Georgetown University Press, Washington, D.C. © 2002 by Georgetown University Press. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 21 2002 This volume is printed on acid-free offset book paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Devettere, Raymond J. Introduction to virtue ethics : insights of the ancient Greeks / Raymond J. Devettere. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-87840-372-8 (pbk : alk. paper) 1. Ethics, Ancient. 2. Virute—History. 3. Prudence—History. 4. Ethics—Greece—History. I. Title. BJ171.V55 D48 2002 170'.938—dc21 2002023630 For Paula Contents INTRODUCTION PART ONE: DESIRE, HAPPINESS, AND VIRTUE CHAPTER 1 THE ORIGIN OF ETHICS Desires and Impulses Do People Have Nonrational Desires? Two Objections Desires, Impulses, and Good Things Self-interest and the Good The Overriding Good Plato and the Overriding Good Aristotle and the Overriding Good Summary of the Starting Point (the ArcheJ of Greek Virtue Ethics CHAPTER 2 HAPPINESS The Greatest Good Is Happiness The Prephilosophical Notion of Happiness The Prephilosophical Definitions of Happiness Transforming the Prephilosophical Definitions of Happiness The Philosophical Criteria for Happiness Is There a Philosophical Definition of Happiness? CHAPTER 3 CHARACTER VIRTUE Prephilosophical Ideas about Virtue Philosophical Conception of Virtue Three Important Distinctions in Virtue Ethics Nature of the Authentic Character Virtues The Number of Character Virtues Pride, the Forgotten Character Virtue The Unity of Virtue PART TWO: PRUDENCE AND CHARACTER VIRTUE CHAPTER 4 PRUDENCE IN SOCRATES AND PLATO Wisdom and Prudence in the Socratic Dialogues Xenophon's Account of Socrates' Deliberations Prudence in the Republic Prudence in the Philebus Prudence in the Statesman Prudence in the Laws CHAPTER 5 PRUDENCE IN ARISTOTLE l Prudence in the Rhetoric Prudence and Authentic Character Virtue Prudence and Autonomy Prudence and Prudent People (the phronimoij Prudence and Laws Character Virtue without Prudence? CHAPTER 6 PRUDENCE IN STOICISM 1 Prudence and Stoic Determinism Prudence as a Skill Prudence and the Right Disposition [diathesis] Contents ix Prudence in Panaetius The Stoic Sage (sophosj GLOSSARY 139 SELECTED GREEK VIRTUE ETHICISTS l 51 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 155 BIBLIOGRAPHY 174 INDEX 185