Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how, in order for virtue ethics to be considered a viable normative theory, we must distance ourselves from the prevailing notion that virtue ethics is in conflict with normative ethics. In order to accomplish this, the paper disproves the notion that virtue ethics is considered antithetical to normative ethics. The paper also examines how a study of normative ethics in its present form provides greater understanding of the rational framework by which to integrate these two supposedly oppositional ethical tenets to create an effective model of ethics for today's world.

From the Paper:

"The only unquestionable or objective truth of virtue ethics is the action itself. How one chooses to judge that physical act in the isolated event of that act is up to the beholder, but the occurrence of the actual act itself is inarguable. If a man raises his hand, all will see him raise his hand. The moral value of that hand-raising determines the extent to which hand raising is appropriate, as a subjective opinion. The relative morality of the act will differ in perception according to the subjective opinion of each person that sees the man raise his hand. However, no one will argue that the main did raise his hand, no matter how disparate the subjective opinions of that man's action are. They will only argue the general moral value of that action thereof. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Aristotle. "Virtues and Vices." 2008: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Aabo%3Atlg%2C0086%2C045&query=1249a
• Ess, Charles, Dr. "Aristotle's Virtue Ethics." 2008: http://www.drury.edu/ess/Reason/Aristotle.html
• "Ethics." 2008: http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/e/ethics.htm
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. "Virtue Ethics." 2008: plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue
• Tiel, Jeffrey. "Virtue Ethics & Core Values." 2008: http://www.usafa.edu/isme/JSCOPE99/Tiel99.html

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