Virtue Ethics Vs Action-Based Ethics Essay

To begin with, the fundamental difference between action based ethics and virtue ethics is the heart of virtue ethics focuses on virtues, moral exemplars, therefore relying on their personal virtues behaviors and attributes such as moral character, excellence, heart and personality, therefore contrasting the traditional view of ethics as moral obligations. Basically, the traditional approach is an ethics of universal duties, emphasizing the importance of moral laws and not relying as much on one’s character, while virtue ethics underlines the concept of the individual manifesting his purpose by taking ethical action (Pg. 314 The Moral Life).

First pioneering this approach was Aristotle, by stating that every craft, inquiry, action and decision

To add to this, Mayo acknowledges connections between being and doing, postulating that one must be and do, as action manifests ones moral values (Pg. 347). Basically, the virtue ethics paradigm advocates for courage and bravery as the reflection and prof of one’s moral character. Indeed, the paradigm relies on the actions of virtues as the implantation of morality, ethics and law, the doing is the most important factor in the equation of ethics. In general, virtue ethicists cite that reasonable thinkers, moral exemplars and cultural entrepreneurs are prime example of virtue ethics taking shape, as these brave individuals have minimized suffering and maximized their full potential and that of others, leading to the best outcomes for morality and the human race as a whole. For example, virtue ethicists would cite Gandhi, Buddha, and Martin Luther King as men who a moral framework and manifested it into action, thereby achieving flourishing. Similarly, cultural entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs and Elon Musk have channeled there knowledge, personal philosophy and work ethic, thereby achieving virtue for themselves and flourishing for