A Study Of Hursthouse’s Normative Virtue Ethics

Virtue ethics get a important development whithin late twentieth-century moralphilosophy. Rosalind Hursthouse, who has made notable contributions to thisdevelopment. The author describs this virtue ethics theory system, and on this basis triesto think more about the problems her discussed.Normative ethics has dominated the ethical community today. Against thisbackground, the contemporary western virtue ethicists usually develop virtue ethics bythree paths: first, deny the rationality of the structure of modern ethics; second, admitthe structure view, modify the original virtue ethics, make it conform to the structure ofmodern ethics; third, admitted the structure view, and do not modify the original virtueethics, but query the basic concept of modern ethics, make them to face the sameproblem with virtue ethics. The first method is most thorough. The second method is aradical virtue ethics. The third is a mild "neo-Aristotelian" virtue ethics. As arepresentative of the "neo-Aristotelianism", Hursthouse’s virtue ethics is the thirdmethod.Modern normative ethics are highly systematic and theoretical. Therefore, ethicistshave generally used this ethics form. Hursthouse think that virtue ethics also has thesame characteristics. As "good" to utilitarianism and "right" to deontology, based on theconcept of "virtue", virtue ethics can also be an independent ethics theory. Therefore,the author first analyse the contemporary background where the normative ethicsproduced and the basic structure of contemporary normative ethics, and then accountthat virtue ethics can compete with deontology, utilitarianism.But that doesn’t really show the advantage of virtue ethics. Virtue ethics canexplain the moral life better. And this is the main dilemma of modern moral philosophy.The modern philosophy made human and moral life become extremely simple andabstract. Hursthouse’s theory can be very good to solve this problem. The authoranalyzed and discussed the superiority of the virtues of rules, and its strong applicabilityin moral dilemma.At last, The author emphatically explains the Hursthouse’s "neo-Aristotelianism"methodology. At the same time compared with other forms normative virtue ethics, aswell as the opinions of the supporters and opponents, and come to a conclusion: the concept of virtue can be independent, virtue ethics can be a qualified normative ethicsand do not lose traditional virtue ethics’ spirit——care for a wide range of human life.