休谟的伦理学也是一种德性伦理学

休谟的伦理学认为,人的品格对于行为以及支配行为的原则具有优先权:有德性的品格指导和迫使人们审慎地实践。在传统的功利主义的伦理学或康德的伦理学中,品格从属于实践的审慎:德性仅在激发有德性的行为时才被需要。而有德性的品格在亚里士多德那里是用"自爱"这个术语来理解的。一个有德性的人的自爱使他能够适当地估计实际的情况并且展示在这种情况下所需要的德性。尽管如此,休谟的伦理学与亚里士多德的伦理学仍存在着重大的一致性,因此休谟的伦理学也是一种德性伦理学。

Hume's Ethics Can Be Characterized as a Virtue Ethics

Hume's ethics can be characterized as a virtue ethics,by which it means a view according to which character has priority over action and the principles governing action: virtuous character guides and constrainspractical deliberation. In a traditional utilitarian or Kantian ethics, characteritics subordinate to practical deliberation: virtue is needed only to motivate virtuous action. I begin by outlining this approach in Aristotle's ethics, then draw relevant parallels to Hume. I argue that virtuous character in Aristotle is understood in terms of "self-love."A virtuous agent's self-love enables sizing up practical situations properly and exhibiting the virtue called for by the situation. But if an agent's character is defective, the practical situation will be misapprehended and responded to improperly. I argue that though Hume claims moral judgments are the product of sympathy, they are actually the result of a complex process of practical reflection and deliberation. Hume's ethics is quite different from Arstotle's ethics. Hume's ethics can also be characterized as a virtue ethics.