FAQs
Virtue ethics is a philosophy developed by Aristotle and other ancient Greeks. It is the quest to understand and live a life of moral character. This character-based approach to morality assumes that we acquire virtue through practice.
What is moral philosophy ethics unwrapped? ›
Moral philosophy is the branch of philosophy that contemplates what is right and wrong. It explores the nature of morality and examines how people should live their lives in relation to others.
What is the virtue ethics in ethics? ›
According to "virtue ethics", there are certain ideals, such as excellence or dedication to the common good, toward which we should strive and which allow the full development of our humanity. These ideals are discovered through thoughtful reflection on what we as human beings have the potential to become.
What is the main argument against virtue ethics? ›
The strongest practical argument against virtue-based morality is that is not a guide to action. Indeed it may well be that in a particular situation two equally virtuous people may act in opposite ways.
What is an example of virtue ethics? ›
Examples of virtue ethics include a compassionate employee who helps his colleagues, a good nurse who provides excellent care to patients, and an individual who returns to the store to pay for a product he forgot to pay for.
What are the disadvantages of virtue ethics? ›
Disadvantages
- No single & definitive answer to what the virtues are, they are time-changing.
- No single & definitive answer to what is to be done in moral dilemmas.
- Hard to tell what someone's motives are / some may not even want to develop moral virtues?
One major criticism levied against virtue ethics is that its strong agent perspective prevents it from giving sufficiently specific advice about how to act in problematic situations.
What is one of the criticisms of virtue ethics? ›
as being “agent-centered rather than act-centered,” its critics maintained that it was unable to provide action-guidance. Hence, rather than being a normative rival to utilitarian and deontological ethics, it could claim to be no more than a valuable supplement to them.
What is the main problem that virtue ethics faces? ›
An obvious theoretical problem with virtue ethics is its potential circularity of argument. 'You can tell what is good by what good people do, and you can tell who the good people are as they are the ones doing good things'.
What is the virtue theory? ›
Ethical Theory: Virtue Theory. Virtue Theory is an ethical framework that says that we ought to focus not on what rules to follow, but on what kinds of people (or organizations) we should be, and what kinds of ethical exemplars we ought to imitate.
As virtue ethicists would say, it is okay to steal from a cheating, greedy rich man in order to save the lives of many poor families, and as Buddhists would say, you only get what you deserve in life. If you do good, then you receive good, and if you do bad, then you receive bad.
What is virtue ethics quizlet? ›
Virtue Ethics. - Does not focus on the action being right or wrong, but on how to be a good person. - Emphasizes the role of character and virtue in moral philosophy. - Focuses on what it means to be a good person rather than whether a specific action is morally correct.
