Diacritica 25-2_Filosofia.indb - cehum - Universidade do Minho

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HASSE HÄMÄLÄINEN
appropriate to do. Th e people who are not as wise can, however, still see
the appropriate actions by consciously appealing to virtue. Although both
the practically wise and not as wise people can do well, only the practically
wise can do so not only virtuously, but also from virtue. Appealing
to the virtue means either appealing the targets practical wisdom (possessors
of which are practically wise) has perceived as appropriate to virtues
or the actions characteristic to the people acting from virtue, the practically
wise.
2. Elitism
Since the practically wise have the most accurate ethical insight and since
only they act from virtue, they should be the best to see who is practically
wise on the basis of her acting from virtue. For that is the most appropriate
way to act. Provided that the practically wise are the best to see who counts
among them, it may seem, however, to follow that one who does not happen
to be such a person himself, but is in position to appeal to virtue has
no good reason to attempt to see whether someone is practically wise or
not. For since the practically wise have the most accurate ethical insight – it
is, say 1/n probable that whomever they choose as practically wise really
is wise – and since the accuracy of the insight of any non-practically wise
person is thus less accurate – i.e. the probability of correct perception is