Virtue Ethics: Rosalind Hursthouse

Question 1

A Common Objection to VE: VE tells us only what sort of person to be – it doesn’t tell us what we should do.

Hursthouse’s Response:

Answer 1

VE can tell us what to do, because VE can offer a definition of right action in terms of virtue.

Question 2

What is a virtuous agent and virtuous action

Answer 2

V1: For an action to be right is for it to be what a virtuous agent would characteristically do in the circumstances.

V1a: A virtuous agent is one who acts virtuously – i.e., one who has and exercises the virtues

Question 3

Hursthouse admits there may be some cases that involve genuine conflicts between the virtues, but insists this isn’t a problem for VE.

Answer 3

• In these cases, we can imagine two fully virtuous agents in the same circumstances who perform opposing actions.