Virtue Ethics

What is 'virtue'?
And how can we lead 'moral' lives?



Exploring how contemporary moral philosophy has tackled the issue of 'character', this is an accessible and comprehensive introduction to virtue ethics. Looking back to Aristotle and considering the work of key contemporary thinkers such as MacIntyre and McDowell, Virtue critically explores the historical development of the field and competing accounts within it. From here, the book goes on to defend an Aristotelian account of virtue ethics that emphasizes moral perception and practical wisdom and explore the potential use of this approach in medical ethics and other areas of applied ethics. In its final section, the book also explores new challenges and insights from psychology and potential future directions in virtue ethics.



Virtue also includes chapter summaries and guides to further reading throughout to help readers explore and master this important school of contemporary ethical thought.

Nafsika Athanassoulis is currently an independent researcher and has previously taught at Keele University and the University of Leeds, UK. Among her previous publications, she is the Editor of Philosophical Reflections on Medical Ethics (Palgrave, 2010).