Abstract

In this thesis, I argue that an Aristotelian virtuous person not only reasons about the means of her action but also the ends of her action. A person who has been well habituated but never reflects on her ends is not yet virtuous. To be virtuous, the person needs to apprehend and may revise her apprehension of the ends that have been given to her in her habituation, such as apprehending what it is to be generous. I argue that to arrive at what it is to be generous, practical induction and reflective equilibrium are needed. Both practical induction and reflective equilibrium are exercises of practical intellect. Once the person apprehends what it is to be generous, she would be in a good position to determine a generous action as the appropriate end for a situation and justify why a particular action is generous.