Virtue Ethics Essay

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What is right and wrong? This question that has been asked throughout history all over the world that perplexes society even today. Many philosophers have attempted to answer this question, but it is hard to make out what the right answer would be or even if it can be answered. Who would be able to tell? That’s why we as individuals must make up our own minds on what is right or wrong. We can only hope to find our own moral path. Though it is up to us we can take a look at philosophers of the past to be a guiding hand at times. One philosopher that gave a very sound explanation of morals is the Greek Aristotle who was a pioneer in a way in explaining how exactly one can be a moral person. Aristotle had a theory known as the Virtue Ethics. The Virtue Ethics provided a list of qualities that summed up what was considered virtuous, moral person. For someone to be a moral, ethical person they must have courage, temperance, liberality, magnificence, magnanimity, reasonable ambition, patience, truthfulness, wittiness, friendliness, modesty, and righteous indignation. If a person can manage to have all of these virtues they are considered moral. It is something that requires balance, however, because having too much or too little of these qualities are considered immoral. This theory revolves around specific characteristics of a person as well as an idea of balance. One weakness though is a person can stay within the guidelines of the Virtue Ethics and still commit immoral acts also this falls upon a personal interpretation. Shooting someone in the face might seem courageous to some but cowardly to others given the situation Another philosopher who tackled the question of moral right and wrong was Hume who developed the theo... ... middle of paper ... ... any contradiction. I would sleep soundly at night if I hit a button making everyone live by those standards including myself. It has a great moral outline that I personally find myself wishing I were more like so it is the best one for me. Even with all this knowledge it is still impossible to tell what truly is right or wrong. For centuries humans have pondered this and it at times seems we are no closer to the answer than we were the first time it was asked. It is up to each individual person to find the best way they can live and live it. No one is perfect and no two people are alike so the only way we as people can get close to true morality is to just be the best person we can be and hope everyone else decides to do the same. It sounds cheesy, but it really is the only way this world can get close to having true morals and understanding right and wrong.

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