Understanding Moral Action
Virtue ethics and moral character
Virtue ethics is at risk of being too concerned about the circumstances of individuals and relativism. Virtue ethics, by definition, is the emphasis on character and a personal interest in an individual’s life. Virtue ethics is a way of living that aims to be virtuous. This is in addition to the belief that moral decisions should not concern consequences or obligations. Virtue ethics can only be established by an individual due to the uncertainty of “the virtues”. A person’s virtues could be derived from naturalism or utilitarianism. But the virtue theorist focuses on the person and his character. This allows him to open the door to relativism, a less vague moral belief. The roots of virtue ethics are the basis of relativist’s judgment of the moral quality of a decision. If they are too concerned about their personal circumstances, a relativist can become an egoist. The egoist’s foundation is based on self-interest. If virtue ethics is guided by self-interest, it can lead to negative consequences for virtue ethics.
The probability that a virtue-theorist will misuse relativism depends on how they were raised. Relativism’s only principle is that it denies an absolute universal moral truth. Relativists believe moral and ethical statements are based upon societal, cultural, and individual circumstances. This is when virtue theorists place their own circumstances above all aspects of relativism. The virtue theorist who has become a relativist believes that one must keep their character in mind so they can be a virtuous person. This is also an ambiguous belief. Virtue theorists are often abusive to relativism because they neglect the importance of personal circumstances. The ideal virtuous person’s concept is built on “what someone should be”, which leads into “what someone should do”. The problem is that ideal virtue is defined as a person who wants to be like the other people they admire. The virtue theorist’s desire is akin to self-interest and egoism. This principle appeals to virtue theorists-turned relativists because it takes moral character into account. It also considers personal circumstances. The argument is that morality is judged on an individual’s virtues, and not the society’s. The individual’s moral decision-making is thus a matter of their own judgment. The process described is how virtue ethics can become prone to relativism and excessive consideration of individual circumstances. Egoism. It is important to keep a balance between the moral quality and the individual’s circumstances. People’s actions can be limited to the specific situation they are presented with, but a person is judged on their character and the basis for every action they take in any given situation. Morality is the foundation of all actions. It must be considered the entire situation. A gymnast cannot make precise movements if they don’t have strong form and well-developed skills. A person can only take a morally correct decision if they have a strong, well-developed, and positive character. Morally wrong decisions are also subject to this rule.
If you are faced with a moral dilemma, you might instinctively talk to your mom. Your mom saw you walking first and you see your dad as well. It is a violation of your dad’s rights because you choose your mom instead of him. You might choose to do your English homework first than your math homework because english is your favorite language. This decision is based on the moral belief of self-interest preceding the consequences for pushing back a more difficult task. It’s difficult to consider the moral character in this example with the mom or dad as a moral choice because instinct is the only factor that can determine it. This doesn’t require an analysis of value. The negative impact on the dad is morally questionable regardless of what the determining factor was. It caused emotion and a difference in values (the dad doesn’t believe that the dad values them). However, the second example is clear evidence of a moral decision. The individual used egoism as the basis for their actions and rejected consequentialism. All actions, including those taken in the previous examples, are determined by the moral character of an individual. The mom’s decision to talk to her first indicates that she is not able to analyze the feelings or thoughts of any other party. The instinctual control of an individual’s mind is demonstrated by the fact that they talk to their mom first without second-thought. These characteristics directly affected his or her actions. These characteristics directly influence the moral quality of actions.
