What is Virtue Ethics?

Summary

Virtue ethics is a key ethical theory that emphasizes the development of a person's character and virtues, rather than focusing on rules or the consequences of actions. It encourages individuals to ask questions like, 'What kind of life should I live?' and aims to cultivate virtues through practical wisdom (phronesis). Virtue ethics suggests that virtues are a balance between extremes, such as courage between rashness and cowardice, and emphasizes the importance of habitual virtuous actions. Rooted in the teachings of philosophers like Aristotle, virtue ethics has seen a revival in modern philosophy with different interpretations, including ethics of care and eudaimonist virtue ethics.

Takeaways

• 😀 Virtue ethics is one of the three major approaches in normative ethics, alongside deontology and consequentialism.
• 😀 Unlike deontology (focused on duties) and consequentialism (focused on outcomes), virtue ethics emphasizes moral character and virtues.
• 😀 Virtue ethics does not provide specific rules or principles for action, but instead focuses on broader ethical questions about the good life and moral consistency.
• 😀 Key questions in virtue ethics include 'What kind of life should I live?' and 'How can I become virtuous?'
• 😀 Virtue ethics is more concerned with developing good character than with determining the rightness or wrongness of individual actions.
• 😀 Practical wisdom (phronesis) plays a central role in virtue ethics, helping individuals seek the good and develop virtue.
• 😀 Virtues in virtue ethics can be seen as a balance between extremes, such as courage being the mean between rashness and cowardice.
• 😀 Acting virtuously requires not only performing virtuous actions but also doing so with the right mental state and intention.
• 😀 One virtuous action does not make someone virtuous; true virtue comes from habitually acting virtuously in various situations.
• 😀 Virtue ethics traces its origins to ancient philosophers such as Plato, Confucius, Mencius, and particularly Aristotle.
• 😀 In the 20th century, virtue ethics has seen a resurgence and developed into three main forms: ethics of care, agent-based theories, and eudaimonist virtue ethics.

Q & A

What is virtue ethics?

Virtue ethics is one of the three major approaches in normative ethics, alongside deontology and consequentialism. It focuses on the moral character and virtues of a person, rather than on specific actions or rules.

How does virtue ethics differ from deontology and consequentialism?

Unlike deontology, which emphasizes duties and rules, and consequentialism, which focuses on the outcomes of actions, virtue ethics emphasizes the development of good character and virtues in a person.

What kind of ethical questions does virtue ethics address?

Virtue ethics deals with broader questions like 'What kind of life should I live?', 'What is a good life?', and 'How can I be consistent in my moral actions?', rather than focusing on specific actions or their consequences.

What role do virtues play in virtue ethics?

In virtue ethics, virtues guide the moral agent in living a good life. These virtues can be understood as the mean between two extremes or vices, such as courage being the balance between rashness and cowardice.

Does virtue ethics focus on the rightness or wrongness of actions?

No, virtue ethics does not focus on determining whether an action is right or wrong. Instead, it focuses on helping individuals develop virtues and live a morally good life through practical wisdom.

What is practical wisdom in virtue ethics?

Practical wisdom, or phronesis, is the ability to make good decisions and act virtuously in various situations. It helps the moral agent seek the good and cultivate virtue.

Is acting in accordance with virtue enough to make a person virtuous?

No, simply performing a virtuous action once does not make someone virtuous. Virtue ethics suggests that to be virtuous, one must habitually act virtuously across different situations.

Can virtue ethics be traced back to ancient philosophers?

Yes, virtue ethics has roots in ancient Western and Eastern philosophy, with influential figures such as Plato, Confucius, Mencius, and especially Aristotle.

What are the three major forms that virtue ethics has taken since the 20th century?

Since the second half of the 20th century, virtue ethics has developed into three major forms: ethics of care, agent-based theories, and eudaimonist virtue ethics.

What is the significance of acting for the sake of virtue in virtue ethics?

In virtue ethics, acting virtuously means not only performing the action itself but also being in the correct mental state, acting for the sake of the virtue and not to satisfy other desires or motivations.