The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast Ep. 381: Aquinas on Ethical Psychology (Part Two)
Dec 15, 2025
Dive into the rich world of virtue and moral action as the hosts dissect Aquinas's intriguing insights. They explore whether virtue is a mere disposition or a deeper quality, contrasting moral goodness with mere competence. The discussion encompasses the connection between emotions and reason, questioning if emotions can truly be aligned with virtuous actions. Delve into how bodily appetites interact with moral agency and whether special virtues are needed for the will to love altruistically. Their thought-provoking banter invites listeners to reflect on the nature of virtue itself.
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Virtue Requires Right-Directed Reason
- Aquinas insists virtue is not mere skill but an orderedness toward the good governed by reason.
- A highly skilled agent (e.g., an assassin) can be competent yet morally deficient because their ends are disordered.
Assassin Example And Popular Admiration
- Wes uses the assassin and The Day of the Jackal as examples to show admiration for expertise can conflict with moral judgment.
- The hosts discuss how fiction makes us admire villains' prudence despite their immoral ends.
Aquinas' Causal Defense Of Virtue
- Aquinas defines human virtue as a disposition to act well, where 'good' means ordered according to reason.
- He frames objections and then analyzes them using Aristotelian causal categories to clarify virtue's components.