Alcantara, John Denn A.

GED107 / A1

Topic: Ethics Virtue 12/9/19

1. Use the principle of the golden mean to help explain that honesty is a moral virtue.

Honesty is one of the virtues that was implanted to each of us since we are still children. We
are taught the value of truth and how we should always speak them. This virtue is interpreted
with different ways whereas to some it speaks about loyalty and trustworthiness, to others it is a
form of selflessness and most of the time it reflects one’s integrity. Honesty is a moral virtue that
has become universal and everyone is expected to have and adhere to this virtue. It has
become vital on the character development of a person. On the perspective of the golden mean
we could see that honesty is the mean between two extreme vices. The vice of excess is
boastfulness where the truth is being far too stretched while the vice of deficiency is
understatement where the truth is incomplete or altered. However, between those vices is
truthfulness that reflects honesty as the mean which allows us to regulate the virtue.

2. According to Aristotle, why should we bother to develop virtues? Do you agree? Why or
why not?

Virtue is defined as a good character trait where one ought to have. Aristotle believed that it
is by moral virtue that we could achieve effective actions. Virtues paved the way for us to
develop a good character that is essential to our lives. We could say that people who lives by
and with a virtue tends to see things clearly and judge rightly. Aristotle also mentioned that
virtue links habits and principles that allows us to have a rational soul where we can control our
feelings. With feeling handled and controlled properly virtues flourishes but if it treated with
complacency the extreme vices will arise. Thus, we must be mindful of our rational soul, for
virtues develops good character, and good character clears the obstacles for our rational soul to
effectively work with our feelings. I personally agree with Aristotle especially on his point about
character. We often take that aspect of our lives for granted and we tend to overlook it that
results in different personal issues. Having intelligence is one thing but character is everything
and without it our feelings will be all over the place and we are at risk of making poor
judgements that would result to guilt and regrets. Virtues are our guide on how we should live
our lives, these moral virtues serves as our compass and will lead us to greater understanding
of the meaning and purpose of the life we have.