Virtue Ethics Vs Rule Based Ethics

While I recognize the utility of rule-based ethics, I generally prefer virtue ethics. One main reason I like virtue ethics is because of its emphasis on moral virtues as opposed to on consequences or duty/rules, like utilitarianism and deontology. Although deontology and utilitarianism can make room for virtues, virtue ethics distinguishes itself from them because "virtue is the primary moral category". So sometimes virtue ethics may come to the same conclusions as deontology or utilitarianism, but its path to this conclusion is much different. Furthermore, it will even trump considerations of consequences and duty/ rules if it is deemed necessary. For example, last year my biology major roommate was crying because she was having a hard time in her major classes, so she was considering changing her major. …show more content…
According to utilitarianism, I should not have stopped doing my homework due to the consequences of me not turning an assignment in the next day or having to stay up late to finish the assignment that night. However, I felt I needed to do so because of my own morality. It would not have virtuous to let her cry while I sat across the room from her doing homework. This example also reveals that virtue ethics considers the person as a whole and not just the actions that they preform, which is another major facet of the philosophy. Whereas, rule-based ethics can divide human life into moral situations and unmoral situations. In comparison, virtue ethics emphasizes the character traits that will persist beyond those situations. However, one major criticism of it is that there are not enough definitive rules. But David Solomon points out that it can guide others to make their own moral