Virtue Ethics Consequentialism

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Recommended: Comparison of deontology with utilitarianism and virtue

5. Explain how virtue ethics is distinct from both consequentialist ethics and from deontological ethics. Also, explain how virtue ethics avoids the problems presented by cultural relativism.

Virtue ethics is distinct from both consequentialist ethics, ethics based on consequences and from deontological ethics, ethics based on duty and obligation. According to Plato and Aristotle, virtue ethics makes the concepts of virtue and vice central to moral theory. Virtue ethics is an action is right if and only if (and because) it is what a virtuous agent (acting in character) would not avoid doing in circumstances under consideration (Disputed Moral Issues, 25). Though all three are approaches in normative ethics, they all are emphasizes distinct …show more content…

For example, if an employee was told at the start of their position if they were ever found lying about something, they would be fired. They get stuck in a situation where it is hard to tell the truth but due to the consequences, they do what is moral right and tell the truth due to consequentialism. Consequentialism differs from Virtue ethics because the reasoning behind the action is for the consequences to occur after rather than the virtue before that allows the action to be performed.
Deontology is the study of the nature of duty and obligation. Deontology and virtue ethics both focus on the action itself rather than the outcome of the action. For example, when one is in the service, it may be morally wrong to kill others, but if that is their duty in protecting their country, then that is their reason they must do that action. Deontology differs from Virtue ethics due to Deontology being about the duty being the reason for an action and a virtue being the reason for the action. All three have reasoning for their moral actions, but the motivation behind it

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