Virtue Ethics Essay

Virtue, Ethics and Morality in Business Essay
Virtue, Ethics and Morality in Business
To understand, virtue, ethics, and morality we must first understanding there meanings. According to
Boatright, ""morality and ethics are interchangeable; however, they have some subtle differences."
(Ethics and Conduct of Business, Boatright) Webster's Dictionary describesethics as the discipline
dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation; a set or moral principles.
Webster's Dictionary describes moral as of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior;
expressing or teaching a conception of right behavior; conforming to a standard of right behavior;
sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment. Webster's Dictionary describes
...show more content...
I have learned that a person's life experiences, teachings, up bringing and life overall makes up an
individuals perspective on ethics and morality, in their business and personal lives.
Ethical Awareness Inventory
SCORING SUMMARY
| |C |O |R | |
| | | | |E |
|MOST |9 |8 |5 |2 |
|LEAST |3 |6 |4 |11 |
|COMBINED SCORE |6 |2 |1 |–9 |
The above scoring summary from the Ethics Awareness Inventory indicates that my personal ethical
perspective is most likely to be based on character. Based on my own beliefs and understandings, I
believe that the Ethical Awareness Inventory is correct in stating that character is my basis for
ethical perspective. I consider who a person is and what they stand for rather than what they do. The
inventory analysis states "you believe that ethics relies on the ability of individuals to make sound
moral judgments" (The Williams Institute for Ethics and Management, 2003). The analysis also
stated that my ethical perspective closely follows Aristotle's way of thinking. Aristotle believed that
"humans should develop the virtues that lead to rational, practical actions. These virtues enable us to
respond with the right emotions and the right actions. To fail to respond is a defect, to over–respond
is an excess" (Chauncey Group, 2001). Personally and professionally,
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Theories Of Virtue Ethics
1.According to virtue ethicists, virtues are developed by routine. The majority of virtue ethics
philosophies take their motivation from Aristotle who stated that a virtuous being is somebody who
has supreme character qualities. These qualities stem from innate inner predispositions, but need to
be cultivated; yet, once seeded, they will grow to be firm. For instance, a virtuous individual is
somebody who is thoughtful through several circumstances throughout a lifetime, as that is their
personality and not because they want to get the most value or increase favors or merely do their
obligation. Contrasting deontological and consequentialist philosophies, notions of virtue ethics do
not have the intention to predominantly isolate general values that can be functional in any ethical
circumstances. And virtue ethics concepts manage broader demands such as how one should live and
what are the correct familial and social values.
2....show more content...
Situationist psychology is a theory that behavior is a main response to immediate situations.
Situationism is the psychology of the individual in social psychology, as influenced by one or more
other people, who make up the social situation. The concept of situationism is that the theory
suggests that behavior is the primarily response to an immediate situations. In other words, you are
going to act however the majority of the people you are around act and that is simply because of the
situation and acceptance from the majority. The impact of situationism on individual behavior can
cause someone that is normally quiet to be loud because the situation may demand them to be.
Situationism can really have an impact on your personality by changing how you perceive a
situation and, in return, how you react to

Virtue Ethics Theory Essay
1. Why are Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle usually considered to be the founders of Western
philosophical ethics? * Because it was their determination to base ethics on reason, rather than on
superstition or authority, laid the foundation upon which virtually all philosophers who followed
would base their ideas and theories about morality.
2. Why do many people consider Socrates to be a martyr for truth and integrity? * Socrates is
considered by many to be a martyr for truth and integrity because of his courage and adherence to
traditional beliefs. He was charged with charges of atheism, treason, and corrupting the youth of
Athens – all death penalties, just for trying to question tradition. In spite of all the powerful people
...show more content...
Which are the best virtues? Which virtues are controversial? There are many different lists of key
virtues and the inability to find a logical basis for the best virtues to live presents a chronic
difficulty for modern day adherents of virtue ethics. 2) Secondly, Virtue Ethics can lead to ethical
relativism because powerful groups select the virtues for their society. Is one nation morally
better than another? If all virtues are equal in worth, can everyone pick their preferred virtues as
individuals? 3) Third, in Aristotle's version, is that his foundational premise may be a fallacy.
What we ought to be is based on what we are. Critics have referred to this as the naturalistic
fallacy, an offshoot of the is/ought fallacy. Human nature is a certain way; therefore we ought to
act that way. 4) Lastly, looking at moral right and wrong only through the virtue ethics window
can lead to a kind of "character trap." This theory is basically about being a good person. Most
people think that they are already good, so how good is good enough?
13. Explain the assumptions behind John Locke's natural rights theory. * Humans have rights –
morally authorized claims that impose legitimate obligations (duties). * Rights come from God or
nature. * Rights are the foundations of ethics. * The individual is more important than the group. *
Human nature is self–interest. * We have a moral duty or obligation to avoid violating the rights of

Ethics
Virtue and Patience
In order to survive these days, there need to be at least some standards and goals of morality in a
person's life. Moral excellence is definitely hard to achieve, but is something worth while to
attempt. Personally, there are many distractions and obstructions the present day provides, creating
a difficulty of direction in my own life. I need to overcome obstacles such as peer pressure in order
to become a confident, successful person. The present day provides impediments which I believe I
can overcome by way of morality and virtue. I have chosen to work on more patience in my life.
According to Aristotle, for every virtue there are two vices. One is in excess and the other being
deficit. Patience is a...show more content...
Never noticing it, I never tried to correct it. Now in the morning I have her to calm me down. We
are working on it together. And I am most definitely improving. I recall writing in my journal
about how I feel anger and frustration when I am waiting around. This coincides with the part of
the definition about delay. Through my journaling process I realized that I get most frustrated
when I have a time to be somewhere and I know I am going to be late. I am also frustrated in
anything and everything that hinders my path. On the other hand, if I have not specific time to be
somewhere, then I don't feel any part of being impatient. For example, when I was coming back to
the dorm from my home town, I was in traffic for and hour. Ordinarily, if I had to be back at a
specific time, I would have been antsy and swearing at the traffic when it is out of my control. Plato
had a theory of the charioteer. In this theory, there is a person who represents reason, and two
horses. One represents will power and spirit and the other the persons appetites and desires. I
believe that all three are involved in be becoming more patient. I have to be able to come up with
reasons why I am impatient and reason out the pros and cons of my decisions. The will power is
enormous because if it wasn't for the will power I would have just quit after failing to have more
patience. Finally, I desire to become more patient so that also boosts my will power up.
The great literary icon

An Argument On Virtue Ethics Essay
Hursthouse might respond to this objection that moral philosophy is sufficient for a virtuous person
to make a decision in any given circumstances because it guides the person to be certain not in
making the correct decision but in having virtuous intention. A person's virtuous intention is based
not by what end it reaches. It is by what action is made. Hursthouse might argue in our given
example that the surgeon's action is certain because he makes a decision with the intention to save a
life of a patient instead of losing two. In addition, Hursthouse might claim that this act of virtuous
intention is reasoned in terms of what a virtuous person would do. However, this response fails to
recognize that certainty is not just In this paper, I will critically examine Rosalind Hursthouse's
argument on "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 "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 person would do. In this paper, I
will focus on Hursthouse's argument on the certainty of a virtuous person, offer an objection to the
argument, and demonstrate how Hursthouse might respond to that objection.
Virtue ethics is a theory of ethics in moral philosophy in which it emphasizes that the notion of
virtue is key to a

Essay On Virtue Ethics
Virtue Ethics: The ethics of being. This week in our course in Ethics lead us to the topic of
Aristotle's Virtue Ethics. Aristotle is thought of to be the first to write about the concept of Virtue
Ethics, but humanity has realized its existence before Aristotle by just living their everyday life in
society. The virtues of honesty, courage, and dependability were sought after in social interactions
while their respective vices of dishonesty, cowardice, and unreliability were less attractive. In living
amongst one another–– much to the same scope of what is discussed in Professor Nancy Rosenblum
's Good Neighbors: The Democracy of Everyday Life in America–– virtues hold their relevance in
how we treat one another, and the actions of our...show more content...
As I have said before Virtue Ethics are only important because we interpret and witness the virtues
of others everyday in our life, and right there is where Virtue Ethics diverge from the other theories:
Virtue Ethics deal with life. If Virtue Ethics are the ethics of being, then they are the ethics that
describe people; but not a person in one specific situation (as used in the hypothetical situations that
defended our prior theories), but all that person's actions used to calculate their levels of virtue. That
neighbor making noise late at night is not morally evil, and the neighbors that keep to themselves
could also not be perfectly virtuous, but neighbors and society are in fact determined to be in a
balancing act between the two... according to Virtue Ethics. I also noticed that the Social Contract
theory from last lesson is very much connected to Virtue Ethics, and even more related to the topic of
good neighboring. Professor Rosenblum in the podcast spoke about this concept of Reciprocity. A
neighbor engaging in reciprocity with another neighbor–– in such cases as the act of lending a ladder
when it is requested, and the person that received the ladder engaging in reciprocating that neighbor's
action by helping the neighbor that offered the ladder with a similar act to repay the person for their
initial virtuous deed–– is an act of the Social Contract's mutual benefit. If Social Contract is to
specifically

Virtue Essays
Virtue
Virtues contribute to people's actions in today's society. Society as a whole has a common set of
virtues that many people agree on. In today's society, these are known as laws. Virtues also mold the
individual outlook on life, and give them the moral's to do what is right. In The Republic, Plato
divides the city into three classes: gold, silver, as well as bronze and iron souls. Each class is
designated to posses a specific virtue. He believes that wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice
combine together to form The Republic. However, Plato's four virtues individually do not
necessarily produce a utopian society. A combination of the four in each citizen is imperative in
producing the ideal society. In Plato's search for the...show more content...
Plato used the dyeing analogy to state how he wishes to train the silver souls (429d– 430b). He
states that the people will undergo a precise training. Certain music and physical activity will only
be allowed. Plato wanted a good upbringing to make the right ideas permanent in them, so that the
bleach of pleasure, grief, fear, or death, would not wash the true colors from their souls. "For, in my
opinion, you regard the right opinion about these same things that comes to be without education–
that found in beast and slaves– as not at all lawful and call it something other than courage" (430b).
Once they got to this point of having a clear, firm grasp of what is really dangerous to a man, they
knew their only task was to show courage. The third virtue in The Republic, is moderation. The
Greek term for moderation is Sophrosune. Plato defines moderation as the kind of accord and
harmony between the bronze and silver souls. Moderation is the ability to control desires and to
be the master of ones self. There are two things at work in a man's heart. One is good, and one is
bad. The bad can overwhelm the good. If the people have bad training or keep company with the
wrong people, the bad force grows powerful and can overwhelm the good. If the good one controls
them, then there is moderation; but if the bad one controls, they are a slave to their own desires and
that they are out of control or unprincipled. "If, therefore, any city ought to be designed

Understanding Virtue Ethics
Noe Beltran
Per. 4
12/6/16
Virtue Ethics
Virtue ethics is the theory which is centered on character rather than focused on actions. An
individual's actions are the main element of ethical thinking rather than actions themselves (which is
known as Deontology) or their consequences (which is known as consequentialism). A virtuous
character would have to have virtuous traits. Some traits include courage, patience, and truthfulness.
To understand virtue ethics one must first understand the virtues that make a good human being. A
virtue is defined as a behavior showing high moral standards. For example, a common characteristic
quality displaying a virtue would be honesty. If someone is honest, They are believed to never lie or
cheat which...show more content...
Not only this, but there is also a common burden of virtue ethics is that it does not produce a solid
base of principles since having virtues is unable to guide or justify good actions. Virtue ethicists
also face the reality that adequacy is a problem because a person does not need virtuous traits to
perform a good action, not only that but if a virtuous person were to cause a wrongful action, it
does not always have to mean that they are still not a virtuous person.To put this into perspective,
if a murderer were to kill someone, and walk away from the crime, and he sees a homeless man
and the murderer gives the homeless man a dollar, he has just performed a good deed. Or if lets
say a priest was to curse in church, it does not mean he is not a virtuous person. Virtue ethics also is
problematic because of its relativism. Its relativism is a big issue to this because every culture has
different ways of defining virtues. Which means that everyone following virtue ethics would
ultimately disagree with each other about

Examples Of Virtue Ethics
Phil 1404 Written Assignment Unit 2
1
Phil 1404 Written Assignment Unit 2: Virtue Ethic
XXX XXX
University of the People
2
Both deontological and teleological moral theories are called deontic or actions simply because they
focus wholly upon the actions which some one works established theories of morality.
Those theories concentrate on the question, which actions should be taken. Virtueethics,
nevertheless, take a very distinct view. (Athanassoulis, n.d.)
Virtue–based ethical philosophies stress less on which rules people focus on but assisting individuals
develop good character qualities like generosity and kindness. (Athanassoulis, n.d.)
These personality characteristics may, consequently, enable anyone...show more content...
Every one of all these are called immoralities and stand –in the way of being a man that was good.
(Athanassoulis, n.d.)
It goes back towards primeval Ancient Greek thinkers and is consequently the earliest form of ethical
theory in Western philosophy, despite the fact that nowadays virtue ethics was not a particularly
general topic for research. Plato pointed out four essential virtues: courage, wisdom, temperance and
justice. Aristotle penned down the primary methodical outline of virtue ethics as part of his
distinguished work Nichomachean Ethics. In line with Aristotle, when people obtain good practices
of character, they can be able to better regulate their reasoning together with their feelings. This,
consequently, allows us to attain morally right decisions any time we are confronted with choices
that are complicated. (Bbc.co.uk, n.d.)
3
One reason they make an imperative impact to our knowledge of virtue and morality ethics may be
common is simply because they emphasize the essential part played by intentions in moral issues.
(Bbc.co.uk, n.d.)
To behave from virtue is definitely to act from some special motivation; so to say that

Virtue Ethics : A Theory Of Morality
Virtue Ethics is a theory of morality. It only takes into account the individuals themselves when
distinguishing morality. As defined in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Virtue Ethics is the
theory that "emphasizes the virtues, or moral character, in contrast to the approach which
emphasizes duties or rules (deontology) or that which emphasizes the consequences of actions
(consequentialism)." It is because of it's seemingly "rule less" structure that the theory has shown
appeal. Virtue ethics places the emphasis on the type of person performing the action as oppose to
action itself. This leaves room for the importance of character and a greater emphasis on the
intentions of the person rather than the consequences or rules as above stated. This also means that
people can learn to improve their moral life by becoming more virtuous. Those in oppose to Virtue
Ethics argue that the rules of deontology and consequentialism provide the rigid action guidance
lacking in v–ethics and because of this, what is "right" or "good" is' obliviously' more clearly
defined. Without clarity in what is right/good, how can we know what is more virtuous of a
decision? In this paper is will refute the objections to virtue ethics stating that virtue ethics, (1.) Does
not specify what the "right action" is and (2.) Does not provide action guidance.
Firstly, a definition of "right" and is needed to understand the basis of which we will be discussing
virtue ethics. According to Rosalind

Virtue Ethics
Introduction
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. His theory was originally introduced in ancient Greek times. Aristotle was a great believer
in virtues and the meaning of virtue to him meant being able to fulfil one's functions. Virtue ethics is
not so much interested in the question 'What should I do?' but rather in the question 'what sort of
person should I become?' It has more to do with character and the nature of what it is to be human,
than with the rights and wrongs of actions. Instead of concentrating on what is the right thing to do,
virtue ethics asks...show more content...
Aristotle says we are most likely to acquire virtues by observing others in our society. If we
experience other people being kind to us and see the happiness it creates we are more likely to
practice this virtue then if we were just told to practice it. Aristotle said that the best way of
becoming virtuous was to follow in the footsteps of a virtuous person, e.g. Mother Theresa.
Aristotle said that a virtue was a 'Golden Mean' in between two vices.
These Vices are two extremes of the scale; one vice of excess and one vice of deficiency. For
example, for the virtue 'modesty', the vice of excess would be bashfulness and the vice of deficiency
would be shamelessness. Aristotle mentions 12 virtues that all fall between two vices. Some
examples of these virtues are honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness,
self–control, and prudence. Such virtues must be refined; we must learn when to use certain virtues
and make sure that they do not fall into the vices; in other words we must use them in moderation.
For example we must not ever use modesty in excess as we will become bashful, but at the same
time we must also not pass into the vice of deficiency–shamelessness.
Virtue Ethics is dependent; Aristotle realised that virtues in one country or society may not be the
same as virtues in another. As virtues have

Aristotle Virtue Ethics Essays
Aristotle's Virtue Ethics
The philosophy of virtue ethics, which primarily deals with the ways in which a person should
live, has puzzled philosophers from the beginning of time. There are many contrasting
interpretations regarding how one should live his or her life in the best way possible. It is in my
opinion that the Greeks, especially Aristotle, have exhibited the most logical explanation of how to
live the "good life". The following paper will attempt to offer a detailed understanding of Aristotle's
reasoning relating to his theory of virtue ethics. In order to explain the fundamentals of Aristotle's
Virtue Ethics, one must acknowledge his primary motive in this study, which is to understand what it
means to live well. Unlike...show more content...
To find out what the function of a human being is, Aristotle looks at what is distinctive about
humans. He discovers that the good of the human is to act in accord with reason well, which can
translate into acting in accord with virtue. One cannot have happiness without virtue, just as it is
impossible to be virtuous with the absence of rational thinking. Because man is a rational creature,
rather than plants which are vegetative, happiness for man must include the excellent functioning of
the rational faculties.
Aristotle found that there are two kinds of virtues of the soul. First, there are virtues of thought,
such as wisdom. Next, there are virtues of character, such as generosity. The main focus of his
virtue ethics lies in the virtues of character. Aristotle assumed that these virtues are learned through
habit. For example, whereas intellectual virtue may arise from reading a book, the adoption of
virtuous character is inherited solely by practice. Therefore, it is through a person's upbringing that
moral virtues are cultivated, and it is through the habit of thinking virtuously that one can excel
towards happiness. It is important to note that virtue not just a matter of behavior. If someone
performs an act of generosity but is pained by it, then he or she is not really generous (does not
really possess the virtue of generosity), and has not really acted generously. This can be deceiving at
times, because it is easily disguised from the

Essay on Virtue Ethics
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 discussvirtue 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. "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: "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 for

Kant vs. Virtue Ethics Essay
When we talk about whether or not a person is ethically right, we can look at the actions that he or
she may partake in. These actions maybe studied in different situations such as the one that we were
told to evaluate. While leaving the grocery store, one witnesses an old man struggling with his
oxygen tank. Without thinking, you lift the tank and help the elderly man. This action is a kind
gesture, but would we consider this a moral act? One could analyze this situation with two different
ethical theories, by Kantian and/or Aristotelian views. The approach that we take with Kant's views
is strictly based on reason. The key factor in this situation with Kant would ask if we did this action
without any thought. Because Kant heavily...show more content...
(This is not saying whether or not the action was moral or not.) On the other hand, Aristotle would
take a different approach. Aristotle believed in virtue ethics. This type of theory bases all on
moderation. It also asks the question of what makes a person moral, instead of what acts are
moral. Reason is directly correlated with a virtue that we have become accustom to. When
evaluating this situation, we have to ask, "What is a virtue?" Virtues are traits of a person's
character that are habitual actions that are good for that particular person to possess. We also
need to know character traits of the virtue. These character traits consist of things like being nice
to each other, sharing your possessions with those less fortunate, caring for people, etc. With this
incident we know that you are showing compassion, thoughtfulness, friendliness, etc by helping
this elderly man. By having these qualities you did not have to think about what you were doing
and you assisted the man because of you possessed these virtues. So in this situation, Aristotle
would say that it was a moral act. You are a virtuous person that is why you did the action. It was
habitual and the reason you did it was because it was directly correlated to the virtues you
possessed. Aristotle and Kant's views were extremely different. Aristotle believed that it was a
moral action and Kant believed it wasn't. These two views are so different because the bases of
each theory are very

Over Virtue Ethics Summary
In week four of ethics we went over chapters 8, 9 and 10. Chapter 8 was over Virtue Ethics, chapter
9 was about feminists thought and the ethics of care, and chapter 10 was about euthanasia. These
three topics were very interesting to me, but one in particular topic that was interesting for me was
the chapter on virtue ethics. This chapter stood out the most for me because it is so important to
have good character no matter what you are personally going through or what has happened to you
in your life it is always important to give others respect and treat them how you would like to be
treated. Virtues are good character traits, for example courage, loyalty, self sacrifice, and patriotism.
They are the traits that make a person good. According

Virtue Ethics Approach Essay examples
1.Identify the main pros and cons of a virtue ethics approach?
The virtue ethics approach is a theory that suggests that people are judged via their character, not
specific actions. An individual who has developed good character traits (virtues) is judged as a
morally good person. An individual who has developed bad character traits (vices) is judged as a
morally bad person. Most of us have a mixture or virtues and vices. There are many pros and cons
linked to this approach. The pros include
a.Emphasis on pleasure and emotion – it is good that we should enjoy acting virtuously
b.Moral education – being moral is a developmental process
c.Consideration of life as a whole – "One swallow does not make a spring" (Aristotle, 1976)
d.No...show more content...
She trusts the original diagnosis and refuses a second treatment. The hospital is an institution that
should be careful since it is trusted. Medical staffs are usually accorded with virtues like compassion
and trustworthiness. Looking at these facts, the moral assessment might be quite different. The
doctors may deduce that a different course of action would be virtuous.
3.What are the limitations / disadvantages of using this approach?
The approach offers no solution to the specific moral dilemma within this case. The difficulty with
virtue ethics is that it does not openly specify which deeds are virtuous. What may appear virtuous to
one individual may not be to the next. Everybody has their own suggestion of virtue in whichever
circumstances once it is assessed, and even if they act with good objectives, it may not bring out the
best in the circumstances.
4.A. For your critique use your own experience of applying virtues PLUS what does the literature
say?
B. Does the literature support your assessment of the approach? (REFERENCED) put reference one
for A and B
If for instance, an adult patient was a 19 year old born into a Jehovah's Witness community who felt
a compulsion to make choices anchored in his parents' faith scheme while not truthfully believing it,
the moral appraisal may be rather changed. The doctor may presume that an altered course of action
would be virtuous. By

Virtue Ethics Essay
In our society, I think most people relate happiness to physical and material pleasures. Happiness
fluctuates as the new thing you had to have grows old. Trying to "keep up with the Jones" does not
bring happiness in life. Hursthouse (2012) noted, "Virtue ethics claims that a human life devoted to
physical pleasure or the acquisition of wealth is not flourishing, happy or living well, but a wasted
life" (pp. 2). Personally, someone that is deceitful, selfish, greedy, self–indulgent, and yet enjoys
great pleasure and appears to be quite happy would seem to not be flourishing. Aristotle ties people
who practice good deed tend to be happy and flourish in life (Aristotle, 1931). Mosser (2013) noted,
"For Aristotle, the virtuous person, is someone

What Is Virtue Ethics
Chapter nine talks about the environment within and virtues. Christian virtue ethics focus on the end
of an act instead of on the consequences because the end says more about the agent (p.164, M). If
one person does something that doesn't seem of good virtue, then Christian virtue won't judge that
person till the end because their means for doing something could be different than one thinks. The
goal of virtue ethics is not better decisions but better deciders (p.164, M). Virtue ethics is about an
individual making a decision that may or may not be a good one. Then, people outside of that
decision have to decide if that individual's decision was worth changing or leaving it be.
Environmental virtue ethics aims for the formation of good people, because good...show more
content...
For example: courage is a virtue, but excessive courage is recklessness (a vice), and insufficient
courage is cowardice (also a vice) (p.167, M). Therefore, a virtue must have the right amount of
balance or it becomes a vice. Some virtues are called "dirty" virtues. Calling virtues "dirty" is a way
of reminding people of their intrinsic connectedness with dirt and with everything around them
(p.170, B). A "dirty" virtue is a virtue that is connected to the earth and it's environment. Dirty virtues
help people to live in good relationship with the animals, plants, water, air, and earth that are our
neighbors and without which we would not survive (p.170–171, B–T). These virtues are the ones
that drive people to protect the environment and see that nature is something that we need to survive
and cannot continue to destroy. However, virtues are something that are developed as one continues
to put them into action. Not all virtues are ones that we are born with. Virtues are acquired and
continually perfected as one practices being the kind of individual one wants to be (p.171,

Virtue Ethics Research Paper
Another reason as to why Virtue Ethics doesn't offer a successful approach to ethical decision
making is because it relies too heavily on the character of individuals. For example Milgram's
experiment proved that normal citizens of society are nearly always likely to follow orders of an
authority figure even when the lives of innocent people are at risk. The experiment showed that 65%
of participants continued to electrocute fellow partakers up to 450 volts, just because they were told
to. Virtue ethics is not act based and instead agent centred. In a given ethical decision the question
asked would be 'what kind of person should I aim to become'. Aristotle believed that when we are
young 'that is the time at which the character is being formed'.

Example Of Virtue Ethics
Virtue ethics talks about a person being pure and exemplary or someone that is always willing to
do the right thing. For example, if someone is making a bad decision then a virtuous person might
encourage he or she to do the correct thing. Care ethics talks about a person having the need to care
for someone's feelings and what is important. An example would be if someone you don't know
seems upset, a person who shows care ethics would be caring towards her and give them a hug. In
this dilemma, I believe that the woman should save her friend's child first and get him to the shore
immediately. Then right away she should try her best to save her own child. If the friend's child is
closer to the woman, then it should be more reasonable that she

Virtue Ethics Essay

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