The Moral Ethics And Value Of A Person

The Virtue Theory, also know as Virtue Ethics, refers to the character of each person. This theory states that every person should try for excellence. The characteristics of each individual are made up from their environment that they are a part of. The theory would further suggest

Virtue ethics is one of the three major approaches in ethics. This approach of ethics emphasizes the virtues, or moral character, in contrast to other approaches which emphasizes duties or rules. Virtue ethics has three central concepts; virtue, practical wisdom, and eudemonia, however, these are often misunderstood. The three approaches of ethics are virtue ethics, consequentialist ethics, and deontology ethics. Each approach provides a different way to understanding ethics.

Virtue theory uses practical rationality to explain why one ought to act morally. Considerations that stem from human needs help us find reason in our actions. Those actions are ones that help us retain the function of our human will and the goodness of that will.

Morality, distinctly defines what is right and what is wrong, but theory of virtue ethics is the mechanism an individual uses to make those moral decisions. Virtue is essentially having a good moral character. And ethics are a set of rules that influence an individual’s behavior, but are subjective; because in part, these rules are developed by the individual’s perception for what is morally good or bad. One aspect of virtue ethics is that, the decisions are not as important as the process an individual uses to develop of one’s moral character over time. Comprehension of this concept is important, as it will allow an individual to achieve the ultimate goal of happiness. As there was no economics concepts in the thirteenth century, moral philosophies such as the theory of virtue ethics heavily determined how individuals behave and engage in the

The first moral theory is Virtue Ethics. According to Aristotle, Virtue Ethics are virtues you acquire from habits, “One becomes good by doing good” (Cahn, pg. 135). An act is considered virtuous if it is the mean between two extremes. There are two types of virtues, intellectual

Virtue ethics bases moral decisions on a virtuous character. By this definition, virtues are constants within the heart and mind that

This approach takes into consideration an individual’s character as the main point behind ethical thinking. Instead of just evaluating whether or not a person followed the right rules (Deontology) or obtained the right results (Consequentialism), the Virtue Theory maintains that the their individual character plays into the actions. Aristotle was a supporter of this theory and believed that people’s characteristics are individual and therefore, they cannot be understood as a larger community. With the idea of Virtue Theory, Aristotle developed the Golden Mean which explains that one should have the desirable middle between two extremes of moral virtues. The Virtue Theory focuses on an individual’s character which serves as the key difference between this theory and the

Virtue ethics is one out of the three main ideas in normative ethics. This form of ethics has a huge emphasize on the relationship between moral characters (virtues) and rules plus the possible consequences. There are different lists of virtues, but according to Socrates “virtue is knowledge” making knowledge the main or only true virtue (Hursthouse).

All of my personal values, I believe, go hand in hand with the meaning of virtue ethics. The ethical approach of virtue ethics is derived from one’s way of thinking and what one feels is the best way to go about the situation, despite what may happen at the end of the conflict or instance. I believe that because of this, virtue ethics best fits me and is how I go throughout life whenever I’m in a tough position and need to make choices and

Virtues are the character traits that a moral life consists of such as courage, integrity, and honesty. In virtue ethics the importance does not rely on rules and a consequence of actions but rather if a person is expressing good moral character or not. According to Aristotle “moral virtue is expressed in good purpose – that is to say, in prescriptions for action in accordance with a good plan of life” (Britannica). On the ethics side of virtues, determination of rightfulness or wrongfulness of a specific action is based on worthy character traits. Negative criticism of the virtue theory points out that there

Virtue Ethics. Virtue ethics is commonly known as the virtue theory. In this theory, the character of an individual is usually considered as a primary element of ethical thinking (Hursthouse 67). Virtue ethics does not focus on acts (deontology) or the impact that actions have (consequences). Instead, it judges an individual depending on the character he or she demonstrates rather than the action. Therefore, it is a person’s character that will reveal whether he or she deviated from normal or rather ethical behavior. A virtue refers to the quality or rather a habit that makes an individual successful in his or her endeavors. In this respect, virtue theory is only understandable if it includes the purpose and implication in human life (teleological).

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 discuss virtue ethics and the philosophy behind it.

Virtue ethics was born from the works of Aristotle and Plato. Virtue ethics focuses on a person’s character rather then the acts committed. The main goal of virtue ethics is finding happiness and becoming an excellent person. To become an excellent person, they must get rid of their vices and achieve more virtues. Vices are bad character traits about a person and virtues are good character traits. A person gets rid of their vices by following the example of an excellent person. For a person to get rid of a vice it must feel like they are doing the opposite vice. For example, if a person wants to get rid of the vice vanity and receive the virtue of pride it must feel like they are receiving the vice of humility. In the film Dead Man Walking the character of Sister Helen Prejean was a very ethical person. She had many virtues, she dedicated her life to social justice. Her work lead her to meet another character whose name was Matthew Poncelet. Poncelet has been on death row for six years for the murder of two teenagers. Unlike Sister Helen, Poncelet seems to have more vices then virtues. Virtue ethics is show all throughout this film through the eyes of both these characters.

By 2012, our world population stands at 7 billion and counting (Nasser, 2011). And not a single person is without a personality. Our personality is what makes who we are, what we do, who we interact with and how we live our life. It is a vital aspect that drives most of the decisions and choices an individual makes in his lifespan, and throughout this lifespan, the individual’s personality are tempered by external factors. In spite of all that, the nature of an individual’s personality still commands a degree of stability across time and situations as they grow from childhood to old age. And every individual’s personality begins the moment they are capable of perceiving the world.

Virtue theory was discussed at length by Aristotle as he formulated what he considered to be the four main virtues: justice, courage, temperance, and wisdom (Weineck). The most significant factor about virtue theory is that it focuses on how one should be rather than on what one should do (Weineck). It further focuses on what we should strive to become morally not on individual actions or outcomes (Weineck). According to Weineck, "Virtue ethics can be seen as an ethics of personal development." Weineck further stated that, "an individual's inclinations and desires are relevant to morality" and that a person's virtue can improve over time". Specifically, "virtue theory focuses more on the individual, and their characteristics, as opposed to just looking at an action that has been carried out", according to Weineck. Thus, the emphasis is on the individual's moral fiber rather than on actions or outcomes.