Romeo Nicolas Nungay Xaverian Missionary

Aristotles Virtue Ethics: A Tool for

Understanding the Morality of the Filipino Urban Poor

Background of the Study

The researcher was inspired while he was listening on a lecture in Philosophical Ethics.
He was particularly drawing his attention to Aristotles virtue ethics and especially to the
concepts given, that those apply to some circumstances of evaluating moral judgements.
The researcher lives in a depressed area and reared in a poor environment where most of
the migrants from different provinces lived together in poverty in Manila. He is wondering, why
despite of the situation of these people, how can they still live a virtuous life? Another thing is
among the criminals most of the people get behind bars are the poor people who are always in
need. People normally judge a person according to his/her acts and its consequences, however,
what about the prior reasons why did he do such thing. With the urge to investigate this kind of
situations in Philosophical Ethics, the researcher decided to do a research on this subject matter.
The researcher wants to go into a deeper examination of virtues in the context of building
a good character among the individuals in the Filipino urban poor setting. The researcher lives
with the poor and he pondered upon the questions why in the crime cases, the characters involve
are the poor people? Why despite of scarcity in sustaining their family and themselves, they can
still survive and live a good life and even virtuously?
Statement of the Problem
In this research study, the author addresses the question how the philosophical ethics of Aristotle
can be a means to understand the morality of a Filipino Urban poor. The purpose of this research
study is to apply Aristotles virtue ethics as a parameter to examine how an individual living in a
misfortunate life still manifest virtue. In order to answer the main question of these research; the
author presents three sub-questions to follow;
1. What is Aristotles notion of Virtue Ethics?
2. What is the current moral situation of a Filipino urban poor?
3. How Aristotles notion of virtue ethics applies in understanding the morality of a Filipino
urban poor?
Thesis Statement
In this research study, the author will apply Aristotles virtue ethics to understand how a Filipino
Urban poor live virtuously despite of poverty.
Significance of the Study
This research study will benefit the following groups;
1. The church, since the churchs main object of their apostolate is the poor people;
therefore, this study will help them to understand the situation of the people in the
poor setting.
 2. In philosophy, especially in Philosophical Ethics, this study will contribute on the
development of morality. Moreover, this ethical theory as it applies in a contemporary
context will open a new moral perspective.
3. Those in the seminary formation in general, in their immersion to the poor and
depressed areas, they will know how to deal with them and adjust to their mind
setting and how they live.
4. The Xaverian Missionary Congregation especially the foreigners, since they work
mostly with the poor, this research will present another perspective on looking at the
people in the apostolate areas.
5. Lastly, to the researcher, he lives in the vicinity of slum areas and even reared by poor
parents. He had grown up in a Filipino urban poor lifestyle. He will benefit on this
study because his views will expand on understanding how his family and
neighborhood look at life in the midst of poverty. Aside from this, he will reflectively
realize the capacity of a human person even he/she is in the midst misfortunes, still do
live a good life.
Objectives of the Study
The goals of this research study are;
To discuss Aristotles notion of virtue ethics
To study the current situation of a Filipino urban poor
To demonstrate how Aristotles virtue ethics can be applied in understanding the morality
of a Filipino urban poor.
Scope and Limitations of the Study
The researcher will delve deep into Aristotles virtue ethics and some of its contemporary
approaches to morality. He will concentrate on the main philosophical literatures of Aristotle and
secondary literatures. Moreover, the object of this research will be the poor areas where the
Xaverians in the Philippines work and do their ministry. The researcher will devote more on the
Filipino Urban Poor. What is the moral situation is some urban poor areas? Who is a Filipino
urban poor?
Review of Literature
MacIntyre, Alasdair. A Short History of Ethics: A History of Moral Philosophy from the Homeric
Age to Twentieth Century. New York: Macmillan, 1966. Repr. New York: Touchstone, 1996.

MacIntyre, Alasdair. After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory. 2d ed. Notre Dame, Ind.: University
of Notre Dame Press, 1984. 3rd edition with new prologue, 2007.

MacIntyre, Alasdair. The Tasks of Philosophy. Selected Essays, Volume 1. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press, 2006.

MacIntyre, Alasdair. Ethics and Politics. Selected Essays, Volume 2. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2006.
Rachels, James, and Stuart Rachels. The Elements of Moral Philosophy-Humanities & Social
Sciences. 7th ed. New York, USA: McGraw-Hill, 2012.

Timmons, Mark. (Elements of Philosophy) Moral Theory: An Introduction. 2nd ed. United States
of America: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

Mercado, Leonardo M. The Filipino Mind: Philippine Philosophical Studies. Vol. 8. III. United
States of America: Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, 1994.

Timbreza, Florentino T. The Filipino Values Today National Bookstore Publisher, 2003

Research Methodology
In this study the researcher consults pertinent sources from the libraries, internet journals or
articles and documentaries that discusses about the subject matter. Some references/sources
which talks about Filipino poverty are also valuable to this research.
The researcher will go into the resources coming from; Saint Anthony Mary Claret College
Library, Ateneo de Manila University Rizal Library and St. Francis Xavier Seminary Library.
SCHEMATIC PRESENTATION OF THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

ARISTOTLES
VIRTUE
ETHICS

Filipino Urban Poor Morality