Core framework

Virtue Ethics

Be the kind of person who acts well.

Guiding principle

Right action is what a person of practical wisdom, exercising the virtues, would characteristically do in the situation.

Key thinkers

Aristotle · Alasdair MacIntyre · Philippa Foot

Strengths

Attends to character, motive, and context, not just discrete acts.
Explains why the same act by different agents can differ morally.
Integrates emotion and perception into ethical judgment.

Common objections

Circular: virtuous acts are what the virtuous do, who are recognized by virtuous acts.
Culturally variable lists of virtues.
Under-determinate in genuine dilemmas.

Mini-example

A whistleblower asks not 'what maximizes utility?' but 'would a person of courage and justice stay silent here?'