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7 - Virtue ethics

from Part II - Approaches to Christian ethics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2006

Robin Gill
Affiliation:
University of Kent, Canterbury
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Summary

A virtue is a trait of character or intellect which is in some way praiseworthy, admirable or desirable. When we refer to somebody's virtues, what we usually have in mind are relatively stable and effective dispositions to act in particular ways, as opposed to inclinations which are easily lost, or which do not consistently lead to corresponding kinds of action. And so, for example, someone who has the virtue of generosity will consistently respond in generous ways in a variety of situations, including those in which generosity is difficult or costly, in contrast to someone who is moved by pity to one uncharacteristically generous act, or someone whose generous impulses are frequently overcome by desires for self-indulgence. Today, the virtues are normally understood to be morally praiseworthy traits of character, but this has not always been the case; for example, many ancient and medieval writers considered intelligence and wit to be virtues.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2000

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  • Virtue ethics
  • Edited by Robin Gill, University of Kent, Canterbury
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Christian Ethics
  • Online publication: 28 May 2006
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CCOL052177070X.007
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  • Virtue ethics
  • Edited by Robin Gill, University of Kent, Canterbury
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Christian Ethics
  • Online publication: 28 May 2006
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CCOL052177070X.007
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Virtue ethics
  • Edited by Robin Gill, University of Kent, Canterbury
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Christian Ethics
  • Online publication: 28 May 2006
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CCOL052177070X.007
Available formats
×