Virtue essay sample

Aeneas, an incredibly virtuous man, is still limited by his humanity. Though he is strongly compelled by his sense of duty, his even stronger emotions often distract him. Contrastly, Socrates is portrayed by Plato to be at a level just above human.

Virtue ethics theory is said to be the oldest ethical theory in the western philosophy. Plato discusses wisdom, fortitude, justice, and temperance as the cardinal virtues (Cline, 2017). Aristotle, on the other hand, provides a vivid and systematic description of virtue ethics in his renowned work “Nichomachean Ethics.”

Virtue ethics is an ethical theory that places focus on the moral character of an individual who performs a particular action rather than the ethical guidelines or repercussions of various actions. The issue with virtue ethics is not whether the consequence of an action is good or the intention of the action is right.

Virtue theorists believe that when one develops admirable characters traits, he or she will in a position to make right decisions on various issues of life. Moreover, virtue ethics emphasizes the need for individuals to break bad habits of character that prevent them from becoming incredibly great people.