Knowra Virtue ethics Virtue ethics Virtue ethics is an approach to morality that evaluates character and cultivated virtues, asking what a good person would be and do. It contrasts with theories centered primarily on duties or consequences.
Virtue : A stable excellence of character or ability that enables someone to act well. Virtue ethics treats cultivated excellences, rather than isolated rule-following, as central to moral life.
Deontological ethics : Ethical theories that assess actions through duties, rights, or constraints rather than solely by outcomes. It foregrounds obligations that virtue ethics does not treat as the primary basis of morality.
Aristotle : An ancient Greek philosopher whose writings shaped logic, biology, metaphysics, and ethics. His account of character, practical wisdom, and flourishing remains virtue ethics' central classical source.
Elizabeth Anscombe : A twentieth-century British philosopher whose work challenged modern moral philosophy and influenced virtue ethics' revival. Her essay “Modern Moral Philosophy” helped renew attention to character and virtue in analytic ethics.
Eudaimonia : A Greek conception of living and faring well through a complete human life. It names the flourishing that virtue is meant to make possible.
Consequentialism : Ethical theories that judge actions by the value of their consequences. It makes outcomes decisive, whereas virtue ethics gives character and practical judgment a central role.
Nicomachean Ethics : Aristotle's treatise on virtue, happiness, practical wisdom, and the good human life. It gives the most influential systematic account of ancient virtue ethics.
Philippa Foot : A British moral philosopher known for work on virtue, natural goodness, and ethical judgment. Her arguments helped establish a modern account of virtues grounded in human life and practical reasoning.
Practical wisdom : The capacity to deliberate well about what to do in particular circumstances. Virtue ethics needs sound judgment to apply virtues when situations are complex.
Utilitarianism : A consequentialist theory that evaluates actions by their contribution to overall well-being. Its maximizing test offers a sharp contrast with virtue ethics' focus on a flourishing life and virtuous agency.
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