Virtue ethics focuses on which aspects of moral character?

• A. The social benefits of actions
• B. The duties and obligations irrespective of consequences
• C. The consequences of actions
• D. The traits, characteristics, and virtues that a moral person should have

Answer: (C)

Virtue ethics concentrates on moral character—the traits, dispositions, and virtues that a person should cultivate to become a good, flourishing human being. It asks what kind of person you should strive to be, and views right action as flowing from who you are over time. The focus is on developing virtuous qualities—honesty, courage, generosity, temperance, and the like—and on how these traits shape consistent, morally sound choices across different situations. This emphasis on character aims at flourishing (often called eudaimonia) as the ultimate goal, since virtuous character tends to lead to good, stable outcomes in life.

If we talked about social benefits, we’d be looking at outcomes and effects of actions, which aligns more with utilitarian or other consequence-focused approaches. If we stressed duties and obligations regardless of outcomes, we’d be oriented toward rules and duties typical of deontological ethics. If we centered on the consequences of actions themselves, that would point to consequentialist thinking. So the traits, characteristics, and virtues a person should have best capture what virtue ethics is about.