Explore the notion that virtue ethics does not aid moral decision-making (8)

Virtue ethics, as presented by Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), is one of the three fundamental normative ethical theories recognised for its efforts in prescribing morality. It states that we must cultivate and develop our virtues and use society in order to better our characters and moral judgements. Firstly, deontologists argue that virtue ethics lacks a strong plan of action-guidance and therefore fails to actually prescribe moral behaviour to it agents. Unlike Kantian ethics, Virtue ethics does not have a list of duties that moral agents must act in accordance to. This means, when agents find themselves in an ethical dilemma virtue ethics cannot provide any aid.Secondly, another way in which this theory does not aid moral-decision making is the issue of conflicting virtues. This is to say that virtue ethics encourages the cultivation of virtues, yet when it comes down to it virtues such as kindness and honesty cannot both be upheld in an ethical dilemma. It is in situations like these that virtue ethics lacks the guidance that it seeks to offer.