ABSTRACT
Virtue ethics deserves attention if only because it is frequently taught in schools. Ultimately rooted in the philosophy of Aristotle, it holds that ethical behavior must be consistent with one’s essence as a human being. Part of this essence lies in displaying certain virtues such as loyalty, honor, friendship, and courage. Virtue ethics contains some important insights even though it is not part of the book’s framework for analyzing ethical dilemmas, due to its lack of precision. This chapter concludes with a brief discussion of moral epistemology, or the study of how ethical claims can be established, and explains the type of epistemology presupposed by the book.
