Virtue ethics stands apart from other theories of moral decision-making in that it approaches situations under the
pretense of determining the attributes of a good person in place of what actions dictate moral behavior. Although
virtue
ethics provides a proper regard for others and utilizes reason, its ambiguity results in a failure to outline a
clear
guide to action. Despite this shortcoming, virtue ethics still retains validity as a proper method of normative
ethics.
Virtue aims to balance a mean between the extremes of extravagance and deficiency
regarding human characteristics. The
virtue of patience, for example, if found lacking would undoubtedly hinder the odds of finding willing
companionship.
However, virtue ethics supports that there can almost always be too much of a good thing. An excess of
patience would
result in an inability to hold others accountable.
When justifying one’s actions, invoking virtue ethics appears to be the most noble when compared
to other schools of thought. Rather than acting through the pursuit of achieving the greatest quantity of
good, as a utilitarian would
do,
or by acting in accordance with blind faith in an institution, as a deontologist prefers, virtue ethicists
act
purely
through the benevolence of the act alone.
The lack of a moral guide to action evokes reasonable cause for scrutiny amongst opponents of virtue ethics. These
challengers question the merit for an ethical model that does not include a standard of conduct. Although the logic
and empathy included are admirable, without a clear action plan available, virtue ethics does not fulfill the full
obligation of the minimum concept of morality.
While the lack of a guide to action is a glaring deficiency of virtue ethics, it is not a dilemma without solution.
Other models of ethical thought exist that aim to discern which actions are just and can be used in conjunction with
the
virtuous ethics. While virtue ethics alone may not provide a full strategy for moral decision making, by conjuring
an
amalgamation of different, yet viable, normative ethics, one can fill the gaps left by this incomplete guide.
Virtue ethics involves finding proper balance between vices and considering what makes one good rather than what
action
leads to goodness. By returning to the primordial ethical question of what constitutes human excellence, we can
effectively address the quandaries before us unperturbed by established standards and ulterior motives. Assessing
from a
point of virtue and incorporating deontological or consequential thought to shoulder the burden of action remains a
sustainable method of moral decision making.