Moral Virtue and How it is Acquired

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Moral Virtue
How does Aristotle define moral virtue?
Aristotle defines moral virtue as a disposition to act and behave appropriately. When the impact of vices on peoples’ behavior is considered, moral virtue becomes a mean between extremes of excess and deficiency. As a result, moral virtue is similar to having the right attitude towards pleasure and pain. For the Greeks, the enthusiasm to behave appropriately is not influenced by moral principles of dos and don’ts but rather by an urge to achieve excellence, just like an athlete. Therefore, like other Greeks, Aristotle's perception of moral virtue is equivalent to attaining excellence. For instance, a guitarist will be morally virtuous if he plays the guitar well since playing the guitar is the primary occupation of a guitarist. Aristotle indicates that morally virtuous people exhibit various virtues or means such as courage, temperance, modesty, magnanimity, and good ambition. However, a person can only be morally virtuous if the virtues he/she possesses do not exist as individual traits but rather as different features of his/her life.
How is moral virtue acquired?
Aristotle insists that peoples’ virtues are not innate, like smell and eyesight, but rather are a subset of their good traits. Virtues are abiding states that can be expressed through purpose and action. However, virtues are not just expressed but are expressed in good purpose, by a good plan of life. Therefore, just like people design and even change their life plans when required, so are virtues. As a result, peop...