Virtue Ethics is the ethical system in which it is considered good for things to fulfill their purposes. Everything has a purpose or Telos, and virtue is what allows it to fulfill its Telos. Virtue does not refer to goodness but rather to excellence. A sharp knife is a virtuous knife despite a sharp knife being able to be used to cut food as well as people. A dull knife is unable to cut anything so as a result it is unable too fulfill its purpose, if it were sharp (virtuous) it would be able to fulfill its purpose despite also being able to be used against its purpose. Moral virtue is the trait that allows people to make moral decisions and it is a virtue. Virtue ethics is notable for taking into account the person making the decision and their purpose as opposed to trying to impose universal rules and this makes it very different from conventional morality and I would say it is the reason why virtue ethical statements are meaningful whereas deontological and utilitarian statements are not.
Natural law is the form of virtue ethics most associated with Aristotle and the Catholic Church. There are other forms of virtue ethics that are different from it such as my form and the Ethic of Care
Natural law is the form of virtue ethics most associated with Aristotle and the Catholic Church. There are other forms of virtue ethics that are different from it such as my form and the Ethic of Care
Last edited:
