Aristotle in the Anthropocene: the comparative benefits of Aristotelian virtue ethics over Utilitarianism and deontology

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dc.contributor.authorMorrell, Kevin
dc.contributor.authorDahlmann, Frederik
dc.date.accessioned2022-08-30T13:58:00Z
dc.date.available2022-08-30T13:58:00Z
dc.date.issued2022-08-23
dc.description.abstractIn the Anthropocene, humanity faces a pressing question: ‘what should we do?’ Here we are interested in the underlying sense and reference of the normative ‘should’ as it applies to ethics with respect to different actors. To excavate ‘should’, we unearth the foundations of three conventional groupings of normative ethical systems: Mill’s utilitarianism, Kantian deontological ethics and Aristotelian virtue ethics. Each provides a normative basis for saying what humans ‘should’ do. We draw on specific examples from the private sector to argue that debates on the role of ethics in business are dominated by consequentialist and deontological accounts which, while essential, entail certain limitations regarding the realities of this new geological epoch. Identifying the comparative benefits of Aristotelian virtue ethics enables us to develop new insights and suggestions for ethics in the Anthropocene. We identify three distinctive features of Aristotelian virtue ethics: (i) a focus on agents rather than acts, (ii) a distinction between laws and customs versus nature and (iii) the importance of tradition. We set out corresponding implications for ethics and sustainability as applied to the private sector.en_UK
dc.identifier.citationMorrell K, Dahlmann F. (2023) Aristotle in the Anthropocene: the comparative benefits of Aristotelian virtue ethics over Utilitarianism and deontology. The Anthropocene Review, Volume 10, Issue 3, December 2023, pp. 615-635en_UK
dc.identifier.issn2053-0196
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1177/20530196221105093
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/18373
dc.language.isoenen_UK
dc.publisherSAGEen_UK
dc.rightsAttribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/*
dc.subjectAnthropoceneen_UK
dc.subjectAristotleen_UK
dc.subjectbusinessen_UK
dc.subjectsustainabilityen_UK
dc.subjectvirtueen_UK
dc.titleAristotle in the Anthropocene: the comparative benefits of Aristotelian virtue ethics over Utilitarianism and deontologyen_UK
dc.typeArticleen_UK

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