The next main meeting of the Middle Way Network will be at 7pm UK time on Sun 6th Dec 2020. This will be the third of our series of talks and discussions on ethics. In this and the following two sessions we will be looking at the three classic approaches to morality in turn: virtue ethics, ethics seeking good consequences, and principle-based ethics. We will be asking what a Middle Way approach implies for what we consider to be ‘good’: is it becoming a better person, fulfilling good goals, or obeying the right principles? Or is it all of these? If so, how do we fit them together when they sometimes contradict each other?

Virtue ethics, as the focus of this first session, is the approach to ethics that starts with the idea that we should become better (more virtuous) people. A ‘virtue’ is basically a good habit, and the idea of a practice, such as mindfulness, seems to be very much about cultivating good habits. However, we need to think about what makes a habit ‘good’, and the problem is that different groups have different assumptions about that ‘good’. Integration will be suggested as the key idea that can help us decide what is a virtuous habit for us on our specific path. However, developing good habits also doesn’t automatically make our decisions right, and virtue ethics still leaves us needing to make judgements about what to do in specific situations.

There’ll be a short talk on this topic, followed by questions, then discussion in regionalised breakout groups. Some other regionalised groups will meet at other times. If you’re interested in joining us but are not already part of the Network, please see the general Network page to sign up. To catch up on the previous session, on evil, please see this post. If you would like catch up more with more basic aspects of the Middle Way approach, we are also holding a reading group (next on 13th Dec) which will do this – please contact Jim (at) middlewaysociety.org if you want to join this.

Here is the video from the session:

Suggested reflection questions

1. What virtues do you most value and most want to cultivate?
2. Are there any tensions between cultivating those virtues and other needs or goals in your life? How do you think you can use the Middle Way to help resolve these?

Suggested further reading

Middle Way Philosophy 1: The Path of Objectivity 7.e (see pdf of Omnibus edition on Researchgate)

The Buddha’s Middle Way section 5 (‘Interpreting the Eightfold Path’)

Blog post on Aristotle

Alasdair MacIntyre After Virtue (pp.186-203 is the interesting bit!)