A Study On Hursthouse’ Normative Virtue Ethics

In 1950s, British philosopher, Gertrude Elizabeth Margaret Anscombe explicitly put forward the slogan of Renaissance virtue ethics represented by Aristotle’s, then raises the revival of virtue ethics in the field of ethics. In the process of Renaissance virtue ethics, the first problem virtue ethicists have to solve is how to provide guidelines for ethical behavior. Because the popular view is that virtue ethics take behavior as the center and do not care about action, it has no action guidelines for ethical behavior. In the face of this theoretical problem, Hursthouse iron burden, shoulders to the wonderful hand the articles. Her groundbreaking proposed the idea of virtue rule (V-rules) to provide effective action. it can solve the problem of virtue ethics guidelines. She developed their own specification virtue ethics thought.Given Hursthouse’s great innovation of specification of virtue ethics in the field of ethics, and this article’s explanation of the academic and realistic significance of Hursthouse’s virtue ethics, this article research thus has a more profound theoretical and practical significance. In terms of theory, we can compare the deontology, utilitarianism and virtue ethics, digging their own strengths, in order to further improve the ethics theory for further theoretical contributions. Especially specification as a full use of the advantages of long good virtue ethics theory, fully absorb the virtue ethics, deontology, utilitarianism, these three have had great influence on western civilization and the advantages of the three ethical theory. It can effectively prevent the enlightenment from going to the reverse of the enlightenment, which opened up a effective path to solve the crisis of modernity ethics. At the same time, this theory has important meaning in China and the world ethics educational world. We grasp the theory, then compare it with China’s ethics studies, and thousands of years of the interaction between eastern and western civilizations can contribute to the development of the world ethics theory, to solving the crisis of moral crisis of modernity and to modern metaphysics theory.In the field of reality, the theory of Hursthouse laid a theoretical basis for harmonious development of diversified civilization, and it is helpful for us to solve the civilization and the conflict between new and old moral problems. In addition, the specification of Hursthouse, virtue ethics in solving the practical problems such as abortion also showed a comprehensive and profound. And for the virtue of a single, standard virtue ethics can not only realize the guidance of action, promote people to reflect on their own moral status quo, strengthen their own moral accomplishment, but also improve their practical wisdom. All of this will help us in the concrete implementation in practical ethics. Hursthouse’s discussion enhanced our confidence in virtue of the whole moral landslide in today’s China and the world, and thus has great practical significance. We should look forward to developing virtue ethics.In this paper, the first chapter discusses the rationality of normative ethics is effective and significant features, especially the rational characteristics of logos spirit can be traced back to ancient Greece beyond the time. Compare this feature to the connotation of the concept of Aristotle’s form it can be found that it lack of subjective factors, the time dimension and experience connotation, which is lack of spirit of nous. And virtue ethics, especially the intellectual virtue of Aristotle’s virtue ethics has emphasized the logos spirit and unity of nous. Too much emphasis on the rational spirit which can go beyond the time, which is the root of modern metaphysics and moral crisis, so the revival of virtue ethics, especially the new Renaissance Aristotle’s virtue ethics is a normative ethics, can prevent the crisis of modernity from the rational to the rational of the new development road.The second chapter puts its lense on nearly one hundred years of history of western ethics, focusing on the metaethicists, late Wittgenstein’s ethics and its successors, early Renaissance virtue ethicists in the process of exploring process of virtue and rule of the relationship between processing conditions. A brief review of the early revival of virtue ethics and several important ethicists important contribution and their development of ethics, that Hursthouse’s specification has its ethical virtue ethics theory and realistic necessity.The third chapter mainly expounds Hursthouse’s main content of the specification of virtue ethics and demonstrate the internal logic relationship between them and the ethics significance.After proposing V-rule, Hursthouse had to face accusation of V-rules being be too vague, not specific enough and weak commensurability, detailedly clarified that V-rules and deontology and utilitarianism is no less wise when compared to the rules of the system. At the same time, the weak condifiability of V-rules will make moral agents be more fully considering the specific situation and the moral behavior in the process of selection and before and after the implementation of the role of moral emotion, the virtue ethics in the aspect of moral evaluation theory especially utilitarianism will be more comprehensive than obligation. Also let us pay more attention to the moral feelings especially moral dilemma factors on the significant impact of life, can correct moral education with emotion as the breaking point.Unlike before the normative ethics focuses on development of rational, Hursthouse emphasizes the rules and the specification of the virtue ethics emotion, rational and emotional harmony, which can let the doer in nous and logos improve themselves, achieve a more complete virtue. For the role of virtue, Hursthouse are not in favor of many ethicists to illustrate Aristotle’s ethics from the perspective of functional natural teleology. She stressed human rational this characteristics significantly different from animals and plants, in order to illustrate virtue is good for virtue owners. Emphasize human reason let people freely according to their thought reasonable way of life, to a certain extent, support the diversity of culture. This kind of sense of the Aristotelian naturalism does not break the inner bottom line of different cultures, and will not result in violent conflict of various kinds of culture and ideas.The fourth chapter briefly discusses the Hursthouse’s specification of virtue ethics and its historical significance and challenges. It recognises the role of rational specification virtue ethics, pays attention to the guiding significance of the virtue rule of action, which will help solve the problem of virtue ethics theory itself. It emphasizes person’s subjectivity, effectively prevent the chrono rational towards its opposite in normative ethics, theory helps solve the modern moral crisis. Hursthouse’s specification strengthened our confidence in virtue, virtue ethics that we can achieve this ethical theory in the real level. Finally, it is necessary to bear in mind that Hursthouse’s encouragement:inconsistent in the old question and challenge, we must believe the power of virtue and resolutely resist evil.