Exemplification Essay: The Importance Of Virtue Ethics

Virtue ethics is a rather old theory with Chinese origins but is normally associated with the Greeks. Unlike most theories such as consequentialist and deontological where rule, acts, and consequences are most important; virtue ethics mainly emphasize character and being a good or virtuous person. The only rules that are important are the ones that are written by a good person or if they will help a person become virtuous. Virtue ethics asks the questions: How should one live? What is considered a good life? In family and society, what are the proper values? How can human excellence be obtained? In order to answer these questions and be a virtuous person, of course a person must have virtues, but what is a virtue?
According to Ethics Theory and Practice, a virtue is “the quality of moral excellence, righteousness, and responsibility” (Krasemann, Thiroux 437). Excellence is the telos, or desired result, in virtues ethics; becoming the best type of person and creating good communities built around virtues is the ultimate goal. The cardinal or natural virtues: temperance, prudence, justice, and fortitude are examples of virtues a person could have. One of the …show more content…
Over a person’s life these vices can become imbedded in them due to a bad environment or lack of discipline, this creates a non-virtuous or vicious person. Whereas a virtuous person acts and lives based on reason, a vicious person is moved by impulse. Vicious people tend to have inner chaos and struggle to have a set purpose in life unlike a virtuous person whose life consists of contentment and purpose. A virtuous person will always be kind in every situation throughout their life, not because they wish for something in return or feel it is their duty, but because it is simply who they are. There has been many philosophers to contribute to the creating virtue ethics, but the most well known is