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Virtue ethics starts with the question, “What makes for a good, or excellent, person?” They answer the question by arguing that being a good person is about having a good character. A character is a set of dispositions and those who have a good character are naturally disposed to do good things. It is believed that those with good characters are “virtuous” and that good character traits are virtues, while bad character traits are vices. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a virtue is a good and moral quality (2013). Virtue ethics actually dates back to the days of Aristotle (Rachels, p 158).” Aristotle definition of a virtue was, “a trait of character manifested in habitual action (Rachels, p 160).” Some examples of human virtues include honesty, self-control, compassion, generosity, patience and loyalty.
Virtue ethics is more about the decisions a person makes based on their character, as opposed to just making decisions based on laws and customs. It falls under the category of normative ethics, which is opposed to deontology, including Kantianism. While deontologists focus primarily on duty and obligation, virtue ethicists focus more on how one’s character affects their behavior. Aristotle believed that a virtuous person would fare better in life that a person who has lived a life of vice (Rachels, …show more content…
Virtue ethicists try to encourage us to “stop thinking about obligation, duty, and rightness (Rachels, p 159).” Both Kantians and virtue ethicists provide very valid arguments about what it takes for a person to be good. In my personal opinion, when creating the image of a good person, I believe that there are some aspects from both points of view that would apply. I agree with Kant in the sense being a good person has a lot to do with doing what is considered right. A person who follows all the rules is, by law, a good person. However, I would agree with the virtue ethicists more because a good person would obviously possess a good character. In order to be truly good, a person must live a good life by adhering to their personal values and values that are commonly known to be virtues. When determining who is good and who is not good, you without a doubt, have to look at that person’s character. A person with good values is in turn, a good person and a person with bad values is, in a bad …show more content…
Someone who supports Kantianism would argue that they are right and say that a person is good because they always do what is right. However, that does not tell the whole story. By no means am I arguing that doing what is right or fulfilling your moral duty doesn’t make a person good, but what makes a person more good is having a good character. A genuinely good person does not do good things just solely because they are required to by law or should do it. They do good things because it is in their nature and they value these
Virtue ethics is more about the decisions a person makes based on their character, as opposed to just making decisions based on laws and customs. It falls under the category of normative ethics, which is opposed to deontology, including Kantianism. While deontologists focus primarily on duty and obligation, virtue ethicists focus more on how one’s character affects their behavior. Aristotle believed that a virtuous person would fare better in life that a person who has lived a life of vice (Rachels, …show more content…
Virtue ethicists try to encourage us to “stop thinking about obligation, duty, and rightness (Rachels, p 159).” Both Kantians and virtue ethicists provide very valid arguments about what it takes for a person to be good. In my personal opinion, when creating the image of a good person, I believe that there are some aspects from both points of view that would apply. I agree with Kant in the sense being a good person has a lot to do with doing what is considered right. A person who follows all the rules is, by law, a good person. However, I would agree with the virtue ethicists more because a good person would obviously possess a good character. In order to be truly good, a person must live a good life by adhering to their personal values and values that are commonly known to be virtues. When determining who is good and who is not good, you without a doubt, have to look at that person’s character. A person with good values is in turn, a good person and a person with bad values is, in a bad …show more content…
Someone who supports Kantianism would argue that they are right and say that a person is good because they always do what is right. However, that does not tell the whole story. By no means am I arguing that doing what is right or fulfilling your moral duty doesn’t make a person good, but what makes a person more good is having a good character. A genuinely good person does not do good things just solely because they are required to by law or should do it. They do good things because it is in their nature and they value these