How Virtue Ethics Provides for the Evaluation of an Ethical Issue - Case Study Example

Does Virtue Ethics give enough concrete advice to enable one to work out the right thing to do in a difficult situation? Virtue Ethics is an approach to resolving ethical dilemma, which applies a different approach that neither focuses on the consequences as does the consequentialism approach, nor on the duty focus of deontological approach to ethics. Instead, Virtue Ethics provides for the evaluation of an ethical issue on a case-by-case basis, such that the ultimate ethical decision is not only made based on the social and cultural restrictions, but also in reference to the context of the ethical dilemma (Hursthouse, n.p.). Thus, under the Virtue Ethics approach to ethics, factors such as the intention and the accruing personal or group benefits are put into consideration when reaching the conclusion regarding the best choice in the process of decision-making. In this respect, while the other approaches to ethical decision making provides a clear guideline on how such decisions should be made, Virtue Ethics does not offer the guideline to ethical decision making, but rather emphasizes the development of morally desirable virtues that are then capable of aiding an individual to make the right and ethical decision on the event of an ethical dilemma (Shafer-Landau, 177). Thus, it can simply be observed that the Aristotelian Virtue Ethics is highly focused on being as opposed to doing, with the view that it is through the already developed character of an individual that the nature of decisions made under different circumstances are shaped (Kraut, n.p.). Virtue Ethics has the limitation of not offering precise guidelines on how to make ethical decisions. However, it can easily be concluded that it has effectively provided the fundamental basis of working out the right thing to do in a difficult situation, by shaping the character of individuals to make the moral and ethical decisions under such situations. Virtue Ethics offers a concrete advice to enable an individual work out the right thing to do under difficult situations, owing to the fact that it avoids making absolute rules of decision-making, rather preferring decision-making on a case-by-case basis (Hursthouse, n.p.). The advantage associated with this approach is that Virtue Ethics ensures that it does not limit individuals to act in a certain way only, by recognizing that similar ethical dilemmas can occur under different contexts and circumstances, which would then require a high level of flexibility. The application of moral absolutes would result in conflicting ethical situations that might force an individual to make an unethical decision when adhering to these rules. However, when the innate personal abilities are shaped such that the individual is prepared to make the moral and ethical decisions under different circumstances, the individual has the necessary potential of getting it right all the time (Athanassoulis, n.p.). For example, under a situation where an individual is confronted with the difficult situation of a request to terminate the life of a terminally ill person, Virtue Ethics will not consider the consequences of terminating the life nor the natural rules such as ‘do not kill’. Instead, virtue ethics will call upon the individual to assess whether terminating the life of a terminally ill person is the kind of thing a kind person would do or an action that a coldhearted person would take. This way, Virtue Ethics offers an option to apply the right virtues, as opposed to applying rigid rule in determining the right course of action (Shafer-Landau, 72). The society holds a widely popularized notion that Virtue Ethics cannot provide for a concrete and practical decision in difficult situations. This perspective is held owing to the fact Virtue Ethics is perceived to be telling more on what not to do and how to be, as opposed to what is right to do (Hursthouse, n.p.). While this might be perceived as a weakness, it is in fact a major strength in the sense that it does not limit individuals on the way they should think or act, and instead allows for the freedom to consider the existing context and base the decision on the prevailing circumstances. Let us for example consider a situation where a woman needs to procure an abortion, after a medical examination has indicated that the woman would only survive if she gets rid of the pregnancy. The natural rules would hold that procuring an abortion is wrong regardless of the reasons. However, Virtue Ethics will apply the circumstantial evidence such that an abortion would be right in these circumstances, since it would not be undertaken as an act of terminating a pregnancy, but rather as a medical operation that seeks to save the life of the patient. This way, Virtue Ethics would have offered a practical and concrete decision-making in such a difficult situation, where the other ethical approaches would be struggling to assess the duty, rules and possible consequences of the action (Kraut, n.p.). The other criticism of Virtue Ethics has been the perception that it does not consider the effect of one’s action on the others, since it is a self-centered approach that focuses on the needs of an individual (Athanassoulis, n.p.). The fact that Virtue Ethics is built on the premise of developing the innate capacity for an individual to make the right decisions under different circumstances cannot be disputed. It is however apparent that the overall outcome of the virtuous decision-making is to benefit both the individual and the society around (Shafer-Landau, 241). This is because, Virtue Ethics emphasizes the development of virtues such as kindness, which is not an internally-oriented behavior, but a more externally oriented behavior that seeks to benefit the others through the good deeds of an individual (Athanassoulis, n.p.). Therefore, Virtue Ethics provides a concrete basis for making ethical decisions under difficult circumstances, owing to the fact that it requires that more virtues should be added onto the justice and autonomy focus of the other ethical approaches, for an ethical decision to be wholesomely beneficial. Thus, the fundamental strength of the Virtue Ethics is that it gathers practical wisdom, while at the same time ensuring that the emotions of an individual are not ignored (Athanassoulis, n.p.). In this respect, Virtue Ethics applies a holistic approach to decision-making in difficult situations as opposed to other ethical approaches. This ensures that a concrete decision is made that is not solely based on the consequences of an action or on the rules of nature, but also on the emotions and feelings elicited by the circumstances under which the decision is to be made. Finally, Virtue Ethics is an important ethical approach for ensuring concrete decision making under difficult situations, owing to the fact that it provides for consistency of making the right decisions under at all times. The consistency of moral decision making is created by Virtue Ethics, through preparing the inner state of an individual to be ready for virtuous decision-making under all circumstances (Kraut, n.p.). In this respect, an individual’s behavior remains consistent under different circumstances, since it does not solely depend on external factors such as the consequence of an action or the existing rules, but on the innately shaped ability that will not change. Despite offering for an avenue to consider different circumstances and contexts while making decisions, Virtue Ethics does not replace the innate virtuous and moral basis of guiding the decision-making process. Therefore, Virtue Ethics is a superior ethical decision-making approach, which offers the advantage of both flexibility and consistency of moral decision-making process (Athanassoulis, n.p.). Flexibility under Virtue Ethics allows for partiality in approaching difficult situations such that the most favorable decision is made at each point, while consistency serves to ensure that the ultimate decision is moral/virtuous at all times. Works Cited Athanassoulis, Nafsika. “Virtue Ethics”. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, n.d. Web. December 2, 2014. Hursthouse, Rosalind. “Virtue Ethics”. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, March 8, 2012. Web. December 2, 2014. < http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/> Kraut, Richard. ”Aristotles Ethics”. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, April 21, 2014. Web. December 2, 2014. Shafer-Landau, Russ. The Fundamentals of Ethics. Oxford University Press, 2015. Print. Read More