Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

In this thesis I distinguish between two conceptions of naturalism that have been offered as possible starting points for a virtue based ethics. The first version of naturalism is characterized by Philippa Foot’s project in Natural Goodness. The second version of naturalism can be found, in various forms, among the works of John McDowell, Martha Nussbaum, and Rosalind Hursthouse. I argue that neither naturalistic approach is entirely successful on its own, but that we can fruitfully carve a path between both approaches that points the way to a positive ethical account. I then conclude with a brief sketch of what such a positive account of a virtue ethics may look like.

Philippa of Lancaster (1360-1415), Queen of Portugal is largely remembered by the men who surrounded her, rather than her actual accomplishments: John of Gaunt was her father, Joao I of Portugal was her husband, and lastly, Prince Henry (Henrique) the Navigator was her son. However, modem studies of her indicate that she was more than simply an iconographic queen. She was responsible for introducing French to the Portuguese court and was responsible for translating John Gower's Confessio Amatis into Portuguese. Furthermore, Chaucer had been one of her tutors, and had taught her how to use an astrolabe. This last point is very important, for it supports the idea that Philippa was behind the 1415 expedition to Ceuta, the first of Western European voyages into Africa. Charles McKew Parr in his study on Ferdinand Magellan claims that the voyage to Ceuta was Philippa's idea and that she was the one responsible for organizing and supplying the endeavor. However, this revolutionary idea goes in the face of all contemporary primary sources, and all subsequent secondary sources. This thesis will further investigate the claims that Philippa was instrumental in this inaugural expedition and reconcile that concept to its absence in contemporary sources. In addition, this thesis will discuss the direct vs. indirect influence of the Queen, comparisons with three other queens (Leonor Telles de Meneses, her predecessor, Leonor of Aragon, her successor, and Riccafoma, Queen of Granada), and finally evaluating how well traditional arguments hold up against recent ones. Ultimately, while it can not be proven that the voyage was her idea, there are several external factors that point to her aid in organizing and supplying this voyage, a rarity in those days for any queen consort.

What is it for something to be good? Using the example of an Ebola-like microbe, I argue that a merely kind-based account of goodness is defective (Chapter 1). I offer instead an account that is both kind-based and platonic (Chapter 2). On such an account, goodness turns out to be non-natural (Chapter 3). However, non-naturalists can explain why the goodness of an individual supervenes on its natural properties, by appealing to the essence of the kind to which it belongs (Chapter 4).