Essay on Virtue Ethics - 900 Words

Virtue, when I hear that word I think of value and morality and only good people can be virtuous. When I hear the word ethics I think of good versus evil, wrong and right. Now when the two are put together you get virtue ethics. You may wonder what can virtue ethics possibly mean. It’s just two words put together to form some type of fancy theory. Well this paper will discuss virtue ethics and the philosophy behind it. Virtue ethics is a theory that focuses on character development and what virtues one should obtain to be who they are supposed to be, as oppose to actions. An example of virtue ethics would be someone who is patient, kind, loving, generous, temperance, courage and flourishing as oppose to a person who lies, cheats, and†¦show more content†¦Moral relativism explains a point that when it comes to morals, right or wrong, people have their own opinion. Not everyone will think something is bad and not everyone will think something is good. The difference between moral relativism and virtue ethics is that actions do not matter. It is the type of person you are on the inside. Who you are on the inside will help you make righteous decisions, regardless of the circumstances. â€Å"An ethics focused on virtue encourages us to develop the good traits and get rid of the bad ones (Mackinnon).† Virtue ethics was written by a Greek philosopher names Aristotle. Aristotle believed that every human’s goal was happiness. Some philosophers argued that happiness only came from following a set of rules, while Aristotle argued that the best way to have happiness is to cultivate a virtuous character. The two kinds of virtues he recognized were moral virtue and intellectual virtue. The virtue that should be focused on to develop a virtuous character is moral virtue. According to Aristotle, while we are born with a capacity to be virtuous, being virtuous is like a skill that we need to learn and practice to be good at. The key element to being virtuous is being able to find the mean or right amount of our various emotions, dispositions, and actions. Aristotle wrote: â€Å"Anybody can become angry- that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and forShow MoreRelatedThe Ethics Of Virtue Ethics1796 Words   |  8 PagesAlthough Hursthouse accepts that virtue ethics ‘†¦cannot tell us what we should do’, she nonetheless reasons in a different way to show how virtue ethics aids us. Furthermore, Hursthouse would refute virtue ethics being insufficiently action-guiding because we have v-rules in the form of virtues and vices to provide action-guidance (Hursthouse, 1999). Elizabeth Anscombe in ‘Modern Moral Philosophy’ (1958) also contributed to virtue ethics and put forward the idea that modern moral philosophy is misguidedRead MoreVirtue Ethics And Care Ethics1938 Words   |  8 Pagesparticular—virtue ethics and care ethics, have continued to catch much attention since the mid-twentieth century. Although each of these theories are often associated with one another, they both contain their own distinct philosophies. As a result, it is important to clearly understand what each theory entails before concluding that one is derived from the other. Although virtue ethics and care ethics share similar beliefs and rejections, virtue ethics is clearly separate from care ethics. VirtueRead MoreVirtue Ethics1184 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Virtue ethics is a theory used to make moral decisions. It does not rely on religion, society or culture; it only depends on the individuals themselves. The main philosopher of Virtue Ethics is Aristotle. 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This theory approaches normative ethics in substantially different ways than consequentialist and deontological theories. In this essay, I will contrast and compare virtue ethics to utilitarianism, ethical egoism, and Kantianism to demonstrate these differences. There is one fundamental aspect of virtue ethics that sets it apart from the other theories I will discuss. For the sake of brevity and to avoid redundancy, I willRead MoreEthics Of Caring And Virtue910 Words   |  4 PagesEthics of Caring and Virtue Ethics of virtue is the belief that if a person wants to be considered good, they do good things (Pollock, 1988). In ethics of virtue, happiness is always the outcome of a situation. The main premise of virtue theory lies upon three main principles; virtues, practical wisdom and eudemonia. A virtue is a mean state which lays between two vices. A virtue is a characteristic a virtuous person possesses, for example courage. Courage is a virtue which lays between cowardiceRead MoreEthics, Deontological, And Virtue1690 Words   |  7 Pagessociety, we are all expected to be more open-minded and respecting of others way of life and culture. That’s what being a Global Citizen is about. Through Global Ethics we have learned so far, that we can all relate to three important moral theories. These theories are known as Consequentialist (Utilitarian), Deontological, and Virtue. Through this paper I will also be discussing a case study found in chapter two, based on the Selling of Human Body Parts, and how it’s seen through the lenses ofRead MoreThe Theory Of Virtue Ethics Essay1632 Words   |  7 Pages‘Virtue ethics’, is an agent-centred approach in normative ethics that stresses the importance of moral characters and virtues, which is unlike the two other major approaches in the field (Hursthouse, 2013) . Deontology rather emphasises the use of duties and rules, and utilitarianism emphasises the importance of consequences of one’s actions (Hursthouse, 2001). Aristotle’s (2009) theory of virtue ethics is the most widely recognised, he believes that the virtuous person is one who exhibits desirableRead MoreWhy Is Virtue Ethics?1881 Words   |  8 PagesWhen considering virtue ethics, the focus of an individual’s morality is based on their character rather than any one of their specific actions. When confronted with a difficult situation virtue ethicist would strive to always act virtuously, or as someone with idea l character traits would. Aristotle defined these ideal character traits as traits that are derived â€Å"from natural internal tendencies†, and that these traits â€Å"need to be nurtured; however, once established, they will become stable.† [1]Read MoreAn Argument On Virtue Ethics Essay1140 Words   |  5 Pageswould do. However, this response fails to recognize that certainty is not just In this paper, I will critically examine Rosalind Hursthouse’s argument on â€Å"Virtue Ethics† about the reasoning of a virtuous person by delving into the topic. I will then expose a particular problem within it. Perhaps the strongest point of the argument on â€Å"Virtue Ethics† that Hursthouse gives relies on the claim of moral philosophy. Moral philosophy claims that a virtuous person would act and make decisions like what a virtuous