Virtue ethics, rooted in ancient Greek philosophy, focuses on moral character rather than rules or consequences. It emphasizes developing virtues like courage and wisdom to guide ethical behavior. This approach offers a nuanced view of morality, considering the agent's motives and intentions.

The core principles of virtue ethics include the importance of moral character, defining right action through virtuous exemplars, and the role of practical wisdom. These ideas provide a flexible framework for ethical decision-making, acknowledging the complexity of moral situations and the need for context-sensitive judgment.

Virtue Ethics: Historical Development

Origins in Ancient Greek Philosophy

• Virtue ethics originated in ancient Greek philosophy, particularly in the works of Plato and Aristotle
• Plato's dialogues (Republic, Meno) explore the nature of virtue and its role in the good life
• Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics provides a systematic analysis of moral virtues and their role in human flourishing (eudaimonia)
  • Identified intellectual virtues (practical wisdom) and moral virtues (courage, temperance, justice) as essential for living a good life

Development in Medieval and Modern Eras

• During the medieval period, Christian philosophers (Thomas Aquinas) incorporated virtue ethics into their theological frameworks, integrating Aristotelian ideas with Christian teachings
• In the modern era, virtue ethics experienced a revival in the late 20th century
  • Philosophers (G.E.M. Anscombe, Alasdair MacIntyre, Rosalind Hursthouse) contributed to its development
  • Contemporary virtue ethicists have expanded the scope of virtue ethics, applying it to various domains (environmental ethics, business ethics, bioethics)
• Recent developments include the integration of insights from psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology to better understand the nature and development of moral character

Character Traits: Focus of Virtue Ethics

Emphasis on Moral Character

• Virtue ethics primarily emphasizes the moral character of the agent rather than the rightness or wrongness of specific actions or their consequences
• The foundation of morality lies in the development of good character traits, or virtues (courage, justice, temperance, wisdom)
• Virtues are seen as stable dispositions to act, feel, and think in ways that promote human flourishing and the good life
• By cultivating virtues, individuals become more likely to make morally good choices and act in morally praiseworthy ways

Contrast with Other Ethical Theories

• In contrast to deontological and consequentialist theories, which focus on rules or outcomes, virtue ethics maintains that the moral quality of an action depends on the character of the person performing it
• Virtue ethics recognizes that the same action can be morally praiseworthy or blameworthy depending on the motives, intentions, and character of the agent
• This approach allows for a more nuanced and context-sensitive evaluation of moral behavior

Right Action: Defined by Virtue

Virtuous Person as Exemplar

• In virtue ethics, right actions are those that a virtuous person would characteristically perform in a given situation
• A virtuous person is someone who possesses and consistently demonstrates the moral virtues (courage, justice, temperance, wisdom)
• Virtue ethicists argue that by asking what a virtuous person would do, we can derive guidance for moral behavior in specific circumstances
• The virtuous person serves as an exemplar or role model for moral conduct, embodying the practical wisdom necessary to navigate complex moral situations

Context-Dependent Moral Decision-Making

• Determining the right action involves considering how a person with a well-developed moral character would respond to the situation, taking into account their virtues, moral sensitivity, and practical wisdom
• This approach to defining right action is context-dependent and allows for flexibility in moral decision-making, as the virtuous response may vary depending on the specific circumstances
• Virtue ethics acknowledges the complexity of moral life and the need for situational judgment rather than relying on universal rules or calculations of consequences

Practical Wisdom: Guiding Virtuous Behavior

Phronesis: The Intellectual Virtue

• Practical wisdom, also known as phronesis, is a central concept in virtue ethics and plays a crucial role in guiding virtuous behavior
• It is the intellectual virtue that enables individuals to discern the right course of action in specific situations, considering the relevant moral virtues and the particulars of the context
• Practical wisdom involves the ability to perceive morally salient features of a situation, to reason about the appropriate response, and to act accordingly

Development and Application of Practical Wisdom

• Practical wisdom is developed through experience, moral education, and the cultivation of moral virtues
• It requires both knowledge of general moral principles and the ability to apply them judiciously to concrete cases
• According to virtue ethics, practical wisdom is essential for navigating complex moral situations where different virtues may seem to conflict or where the right course of action is not immediately clear
• Practical wisdom enables the virtuous person to strike the right balance between different virtues (courage and prudence), to determine the appropriate emotional response (righteous anger vs. patience), and to act in a way that is sensitive to the nuances of the situation
• Without practical wisdom, the mere possession of moral virtues is insufficient for consistently acting in a virtuous manner. Practical wisdom is the guiding force that directs the application of virtues in practice