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- Moral exemplars and virtue
- Theory-building activities:
Virtue tables
The table just below provides a format for spellingout individual virtues through (1) a general description, (2) the
correlative vices of excess and defect, (3) the skills and mentalstates that accompany and support it, and (4) real and fictional
individuals who embody it. Following the table are hints on how toidentify and characterize virtues. We start with the virtue of
integrity:
Virtue |
Description |
Excess |
Defect |
Obstacles to realizing the virtue in professional practices |
Moral Exemplar |
Integrity |
A meta-virtue in which the holder exhibits unity of character manifested in holding together even in the face of strong disruptive pressures or temptations |
Excess: Rigidity--sticking to one´s guns even when one is obviously wrong(2,3) |
Defect: Wantonness. A condition where one exhibits no stability or consistency in character |
Individual corruption: Individuals can be tempted by greed toward the vice of defect. Lack of moral courage can also move one to both extremes |
Saint Thomas More as portrayed in Robert Bolt´s A Man for All Seasons. More refuses to take an oath that goes against the core beliefs in terms of which he defines himself. |
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Institutional Corruption: One may work in an organization where corruption is the norm. This generates dilemmas like following an illegal order or getting fired. |
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Exercise 1: construct virtue tables for professional virtues
- Discuss in your group why the virtue you have been assigned is important for the practice of your profession. What goods or values does the consistent employment of this virtue produce?
- Use the discussion in #1 to develop a general description of your virtue. Think along the following lines: people who have virtue X tend to exhibit certain characteristics (or do certain things) in certain kinds of situations. Try to think of these situations in terms of what is common and important to your profession or practice.
- Identify the corresponding vices. What characterizes the points of excess and defect between which your virtue as the mean lies?
- What obstacles arise that prevent professionals from practicing your virtue? Do well-meaning professionals lack power or technical skill? Can virtues interfere with the realization of non-moral values like financial values? See if you can think of a supporting scenario or case here.
- Identify a moral exemplar for your virtue. Make use of the exemplars described in the
Moral Exemplars in Business and Professional Ethics module.
- Go back to task #2. Redefine your description of your virtue in light of the subsequent tasks, especially the moral exemplar you identified. Check for coherence.
- Finally, does your virtue stand alone or does it need support from other virtues or skills? For example, integrity might also require moral courage.
Exercise 2: reflect on these concluding issues
- Did you have trouble identifying a moral
exemplar? Many turn to popular figures for their moral exemplars.Movies and fiction also offer powerful models. Why do you think
that it is hard to find moral exemplars in your profession? Is itbecause your profession is a den of corruption? (Probably not.) Do
we focus more on villains than on heroes? Why or why not?
- What did you think about the moral leaders
portrayed in the
Moral Exemplars in Business and Professional Ethics module?
- Did you have trouble identifying both vices, i.e., vices of excess and defect? If so, do you think this because some virtues may not have vices of excess and defect? What do you think about Aristotle's doctrine of the mean?
- Did you notice that the virtue profiles given by your group and the other groups in the class
overlapped? Is this a problem for virtue theory? Why do our conceptions of the key moral values and virtues overlap?
- Did you find the virtues difficult to
apply? What do you think about the utilitarian and deontological criticism of virtue ethics, namely, that it cannot provide us with guidelines on how to act in difficult situations? Should ethical theories emphasize the act or the person? Or both?
- The most tenacious obstacle to working with
virtue ethics is to change focus from the morally minimal to themorally exemplary. “Virtue” is the translation of the Greek word,
arête. But “excellence” is, perhaps, a better word. Understandingvirtue ethics requires seeing that virtue is concerned with the
exemplary, not the barely passable. (Again, looking at moralexemplars helps.) Arête transforms our understanding of common
moral values like justice and responsibility by moving fromminimally acceptable to exemplary models.
Questions & Answers
how does Neisseria cause meningitis
is the branch of biology that deals with the study of microorganisms.
studies of microbes
Louisiaste
when we takee the specimen which lumbar,spin,
How bacteria create energy to survive?
Bacteria doesn't produce energy they are dependent upon their substrate in case of lack of nutrients they are able to make spores which helps them to sustain in harsh environments
_Adnan
But not all bacteria make spores, l mean Eukaryotic cells have Mitochondria which acts as powerhouse for them, since bacteria don't have it, what is the substitution for it?
Muhamad
they make spores
Louisiaste
what is sporadic nd endemic, epidemic
the significance of food webs for disease transmission
Abreham
food webs brings about an infection as an individual depends on number of diseased foods or carriers dully.
Mark
explain assimilatory nitrate reduction
Assimilatory nitrate reduction is a process that occurs in some microorganisms, such as bacteria and archaea, in which nitrate (NO3-) is reduced to nitrite (NO2-), and then further reduced to ammonia (NH3).
Elkana
This process is called assimilatory nitrate reduction because the nitrogen that is produced is incorporated in the cells of microorganisms where it can be used in the synthesis of amino acids and other nitrogen products
Elkana
Examples of thermophilic organisms
Give Examples of thermophilic organisms
Shu
advantages of normal Flora to the host
Prevent foreign microbes to the host
Abubakar
they provide healthier benefits to their hosts
ayesha
They are friends to host only when Host immune system is strong and become enemies when the host immune system is weakened . very bad relationship!
Mark
cell is the smallest unit of life
Fauziya
cell is the smallest unit of life
Akanni
cell is the structural and functional unit of life
Hasan
is the fundamental units of Life
Musa
what are emergency diseases
There are nothing like emergency disease but there are some common medical emergency which can occur simultaneously like Bleeding,heart attack,Breathing difficulties,severe pain heart stock.Hope you will get my point .Have a nice day ❣️
_Adnan
define infection ,prevention and control
Innocent
I think infection prevention and control is the avoidance of all things we do that gives out break of infections and promotion of health practices that promote life
Lubega
Heyy Lubega hussein where are u from?
_Adnan
which site have a normal flora
Many sites of the body have it
Skin
Nasal cavity
Oral cavity
Gastro intestinal tract
Safaa
skin,Oral,Nasal,GIt
Sadik
How can Commensal can Bacteria change into pathogen?
Sadik
How can Commensal Bacteria change into pathogen?
Sadik
what are the advantages of normal Flora to the host
Micheal
what are the ways of control and prevention of nosocomial infection in the hospital
Micheal
part of a tissue or an organ being wounded or bruised.
Wilfred
what term is used to name and classify microorganisms?
Binomial nomenclature
adeolu
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Source:
OpenStax, The environments of the organization. OpenStax CNX. Feb 22, 2016 Download for free at http://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11447/1.9
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