What is Virtue Ethics?

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What are virtues?

Individuals with good character traits are judges as morally good. Virtues are good character traits or qualities, such as patience, kindness, honesty and generosity. By contrast, people with bad character traits (vices) are judged as morally bad. Most people have a mix of vices and virtues.

St. Ambrose identified four cardinal virtues; temperance (abstinence/self-denial), prudence (cautiousness/wisdom), fortitude (perseverance) and justice.

St. Paul identified three theological virtues; faith, hope and charity.

More virtues are shown below:

Alasdair MacIntyre wrote that different virtues are prized by different societies. Therefore, virtue ethics has to be morally and culturally relativist, and is a non-cognitive theory (it doesn't depend on an objective morality).

Virtues in Aristotle's Athens include:

Courage

Friendship

Justice

Temperance

Wisdom

Virtues in Homer's Greece include:

Physical strength

Courage

Cunning

Friendship

Similarly, there is a difference between Victorian virtues and our virtues today:

Victorian virtues:

Temperance

Modesty

Piety (religious observance)

Obedience

Conformity

Today's virtues:

Tolerance

Individuality

Generosity

Patience

Loyalty (similar to Greek virtue of friendship)

Other virtues include:

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Aristotle: Overview

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Aristotle: Role Models

Virtue ethics emphasises that we should imitate the virtues displayed by virtuous people. Various celebrities and popular culture icons display a variety of different virtues:

It is important to remember that virtuous people are not perfect - in fact, many of them display vices as well as virtues.

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The Importance of Practice

We become virtuous by doing virtuous acts. For example, we become patient by taking the opportunity to be patient and being patient.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." - Aristotle

Similarly, we do virtuous acts because we are virtuous people.

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Modern Views

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Evaluation of Virtue Ethics

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Exam Plan