Why Is Virtue Ethics - 1881 Words

When 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 ideal 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] In the story of Smith, Smith successfully walks through his entire life cheating. Throughout his time spent in grade school, junior high, high school, college, and even his career in the business world Smith is not caught. Instead of learning valuable life skills, like the ability to spell, Smith only learns one thing: how to cheat. Going back to Aristotle’s statement about how if virtuous traits are nurtured they will become part of an individual’s character, we can see the opposite effect happening here. As Smith drifts through life without getting caught cheating, he is only rewarded for his actions. In his mind, this internalizes the idea that it’s ok to cheat even when everything around him says that it is not. Looking at this story through the eyes of a virtue ethicist, one could say that Smith is not living a â€Å"good life†. Time and time again, Smith continues to cheat in order to succeed. While others around him work hard and struggle to act honestly, and thus virtuously,Show MoreRelatedMoral Reasoning And Ethical Decision Making1144 Words   |  5 Pagesreasoning and ethical decision making. These theories are used to assist people in deciding between the right and wrong acts. One of these theories is the virtue ethics, which is used to determine whether an act is virtuous or vicious. David Hume and Aristotle were among the first philosophers to use virtue ethics to differentiate between virtues and vices. According to Hume, an act is virtuous if it represents what a virtuous person would characteristically do in the same circumstances. BasicallyRead MoreAristotle s Ethics And Ethics Essay891 Words   |  4 Pagessays that people desire a conclusive theory on ethics. It is h uman nature to demand a clear path that does not meander into oblivion. Matters Ethics and Morality take twists and turns that seem to end in no specific action plan. Philosophers that came after J.S mill, Bentham, Kant, Aristotle and many more have strived to find a conclusive theory to Ethics. Ethics and any other branch of Philosophy has proven to be so problematic. Applicability of Ethics peddled by recent philosophers might prove toRead MoreThe Theory Of Ethics And Ethics1246 Words   |  5 Pageslast few weeks of class, we have discussed many different theories of ethics by many different philosophers. We have examined these theories by looking at different examples of how someone who believes in a specific theory would respond to the situation. I have come to the conclusion after closely examining each theory of ethics that virtue ethics presented by Rosalind Hursthouse is closest to correct. Even though virtue ethics has a few flaws that I believe need to be revised, this t heory is closestRead MoreAristotles Philosophy on Purpose Essay884 Words   |  4 Pagesimpressive. His greatest known works are the Athenian Constitution and Nicomachean Ethics. Aristotle’s works of Ethics explore a vast area of topics. 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For example, utilitarianism questions how one should act in certain situationsRead MoreMarta Is The Oldest Of Four Children Essay1075 Words   |  5 Pagesoverlooked when considering what is for the â€Å"common good† (Bernt, 2016). This is why I believe Marta’s teachers should turn away from ut ilitarianism and consider more of a virtue ethics approach. Marta’s teachers should consider reflecting upon her situation using Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics. Virtue Ethics puts emphasis on the individual’s character and moral virtues. â€Å"Virtue Ethics (or Virtue Theory) is an approach to Ethics that emphasizes an individual s character as the key element of ethical thinkingRead MoreAldo Leopold’S Essay â€Å"The Land Ethic† Was Published In1122 Words   |  5 PagesAldo Leopold’s essay â€Å"The Land Ethic† was published in A Sand County Almanac. The short paper confronts the imperfections in the most common approaches in preserving the environment. 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This is more likelyRead MoreVirtue Ethics : Moral Philosophy For Determining The Moral Permissibility Of Abortion1283 Words   |  6 PagesRosalind Hursthouse argued that virtue ethics is the preferable moral philosophy for determining the moral permissibility of abortion because it avoids the drawbacks from the utilitarian approach, and the deontological approach. I will demonstrate that virtue ethics is preferable because (i) it does not require a comprehension of problematic abstract concepts, and because (ii) it is sensitive to circumstantial variation. This paper will argue that virtue ethics is the preferabl e ethical approachRead MoreBusinesses Are Completely Incompatible With Virtue Ethics Essay examples1010 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Businesses are completely incompatible with virtue ethics. Discuss. Business ethics is concerned with how well a business treats its stakeholders and whether a business’s actions are seen as ethical. Within business ethics there are three approaches which could be adopted. The first approach is that a business’s main goal could be to maximise profits and nothing more, where the ethics of the business wouldn’t necessarily be important. This view is supported by Milton Friedman. Secondly, some ethicists