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Ethical Virtue Theory Paper

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Virtue defines the human goodness of an individual M. Harbour, V. Kisfalvi (2013), while other ethical theories such as utilitarianism, and relativism may discuss actions that are considered to be good or bad, ethical virtue discusses the person himself and the goodness of that human being. Aristotle said that we should allow reason rather than emotion to rule our behavior M. Harbour, V. Kisfalvi (2013). If we allow our emotions to take over, we’re more likely to have fleeting happiness or make poor decisions M. Harbour, V. Kisfalvi (2013). To lead a virtuous life, we must seek happiness and on the path towards finding happiness we must remember to be honest, kind, and patient. We should seek to embody all the good qualities that would lead us to live virtuous lives. …show more content…

Utilitarianism is a philosophical theory that states something is considered to be right when it does the most good for most the most amount of people (Duignan 2015). Utilitarianism considers what’s good depending on how one person’s single action affects the majority (Duignan 2015). Ethical virtue considers the individual; it takes into account how a person acts everyday to be considered a good and virtuous person M. Harbour, V. Kisfalvi (2013). Relativism is a philosophical theory, which states what’s considered to be right, and wrong can vary depending on people and society J. Rachels (2015). While this philosophical theory considers what is right and wrong, it differs from virtue in that there are conditions that decide whether something is good or bad. For example, if society and government said it was ok to murder people who don’t contribute anything to society, according to the theory of relativism than this would be ok. However, according to virtue murder is wrong, and you cannot live a virtuous life if you bring harm upon

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