Normative Ethics and its Three Approaches
Normative ethics takes three main approaches. The deontology aspect focuses on rules and duties while the consequentialism approach is centered on the consequences of human actions. The third approach; virtue ethics emphases on the moral charisma of humans. However, all these approaches are related to each other as they all have a room for consequences, virtues, and rules. For example, if a human being falls in need and gets help from another human being, the deontologists would refer to the action as acting according to a moral rule “do to others as who would like them do to you.” A consequentialist would claim the action helps to improve the welfare of the person in need, while a virtue ethics adherent would argue that helping other people is generous and charitable. Virtue ethics focuses on the human virtues that characterize our mind and character. A virtue is a positive quality human beings possess and can get expressed through habitual actions, which make a person a good human being (Han 242). Thus, human virtues are deep-rooted in the possessor throughout life, and they cannot get attributed to a single action. This paper argues that human beings are defined by the virtues they possess as they determine a significant complex conviction of humans.
The Role of Virtues in Human Duties and Responsibilities
Virtues help human beings to perform their duties and responsibility well. Through various virtues human beings possess, they can function well in society. According to Han (249), the right actions that people do in the society get influenced by their virtues. The right actions done by one virtuous person can inspire another to do the same given similar circumstances. Therefore, a virtue is a conventionally-acknowledged quality that defines humans. For example, a person who helps the needy in the society as the renowned Mother Teresa can be defined by the traits that define these actions; generous, kind, charitable and loving.
Virtues as Guidelines for Achieving Goodness
Virtues provide the necessary guidelines on what a good person would want to achieve and be identified with. There are various actions human beings do that can get considered as good, and every human being aspires to achieve them. Thus, virtue ethics is concerned with the person rather than the actions, and the wrong or the right that an individual commits (Sekerka, Debra " Lindsey 437). This is because according to the virtue ethics aspect, a proper human is any person who lives a virtuous life, one who owns and lives the virtues. “Being virtuous is more than having a particular habit of acting, e.g., generosity. Rather, it means having a fundamental set of related virtues that enable a person to live and act morally well.” (Keenan 713). This means that being a good human does not depend on one occurrence, but it is a continuous process.
Opposing Views on Virtue Ethics
However, the opponents of virtue ethics argue that virtue ethics does not focus on the type of actions that are permitted morally, and which one is not permitted, but focuses on the quality an individual portrays to get regarded as a good human (Jayawickreme et al. 286). For example, the vices in the society such as murder, greed, and envy, are not considered by the virtue ethics adherents as right. They argue that those who possess these vices lack important virtues such as compassion, and fairness which makes their stay in the society unpleasant.
Works Cited
Han, Hyemin. “Virtue Ethics, Positive Psychology, and a New Model of Science and Engineering Ethics Education." Science and Engineering Ethics 21.2 (2015): 441-460.
Jayawickreme, Eranda, Meindl, Peter, Helzer, Erick, Furr, Michael, " Fleeson, William. “Virtuous States And Virtuous Traits: How the Empirical Evidence Regarding The Existence of Broad Traits Saves Virtue Ethics from the Situationist Critique.” School Field 12.3 (2014): 283-308.
Keenan, James F. “Proposing Cardinal Virtues.” Theological Studies 56.4 (1995): 709-729.
Sekerka, Leslie E., Debra, Comer R., " Lindsey, Godwin N. "Positive organizational ethics:
Cultivating and sustaining moral performance." Journal of Business Ethics 119.4 (2014):
435-444.
