|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 10/21/2018
Posts: 234
Neurons: 1,464
|
At the level of individual ethics, justice is often contrasted with charity on the one hand, and mercy on the other, and these too are other-regarding virtues.
What does "other-regarding virtue" mean here?
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 9/12/2011
Posts: 35,026
Neurons: 238,054
Location: Livingston, Scotland, United Kingdom
|
Not an easy question, because "ethics", "justice" and "Morals" (which wasn't used) have slightly different definitions in different societies and cultures.
My opinion is that it's saying that "justice" has a similarity to "charity" and "mercy" - because they all refer to how one regards and treats other people.
"Ethics" on the other hand, is more personal, and refers more to how YOU act and think, and to YOUR attitudes in general.
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 9/12/2011
Posts: 35,026
Neurons: 238,054
Location: Livingston, Scotland, United Kingdom
|
To add a little more detail . . . - you don't need to read this if the first answer is enough!
Usually, "ethics" and "morals" and "rules of conduct" are used rather liberally, these days. They are used interchangeably - and so the definitions in modern dictionaries give virtually identical definitions.
However, the older meanings are a little different, I'll give a couple here, but remember that these are not the only meanings, and tend to be used this way mainly in contrasting the two ideas (like I see your original sentence doing).
Ethics - a person's own personal choices of right and wrong action.
A person's attitude towards how he/she should behave in life.
A person's belief-system of right and wrong.
From Greek "ēthos" - "character"
Related to "s(w)e-" in Indo-European, which was a reflexive pronoun prefix meaning "self".
Morals - A group's or culture's rules of conduct, often unwritten.
A society's system of beliefs about right and wrong.
From Latin "mōrālis" relating to morals or customs, from "mōs" - "custom"
Related to "mē-" in Indo-European, a prefix of measurement
Justice -
1. the quality or fact of being just
2. (Philosophy)
a. the principle of fairness that like cases should be treated alike
b. a particular distribution of benefits and burdens fairly in accordance with a particular conception of what are to count as like cases
c. the principle that punishment should be proportionate to the offence
3. (Law) the administration of law according to prescribed and accepted principles
4. (Law) conformity to the law; legal validity
So "justice" is how society treats (or should treat) moral/lawful actions and immoral/unlawful actions.
That all people should receive the same reward and punishments for the same actions.
It's related to "moral" in that it is the society which decides what is just, not the individual. It is agreed-upon as a basis of living in a society.
Often, "charity" and "mercy" - though they relate to treatment of other people - are personal, individual attitudes, and can be expressed by an individual 'judge' in handling crime. This is why they are often contrasted with "justice", which treats every case exactly the same.
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 10/2/2015
Posts: 2,347
Neurons: 513,343
Location: Cambridge, Minnesota, United States
|
vipin viswanathan wrote:At the level of individual ethics, justice is often contrasted with charity on the one hand, and mercy on the other, and these too are other-regarding virtues.
What does "other-regarding virtue" mean here? I wasn't sure what it meant either, but I did find this that seems to explain it. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/Justice and benevolence can be regarded as other-regarding virtues because they benefit others in society.
Prudence, fortitude and providence can be regarded as self-regarding virtues because they directly benefit their possessor.There does seem to be some debate as to whether self-regarding virtues are actually virtues, but the argument is made that by living together as social animals, those who have self-regarding virtues tend to help those without (parents with lazy or unmotivated children).
|
|
Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 10/21/2018
Posts: 234
Neurons: 1,464
|
Drag0nSpeaker, Blaid-Drwg
Thanks a lot!
|
|
|
Guest |