Virtue ethics : an introduction, a proposal, and a case / Robert Campbell Roberts

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Roberts, Robert Campbell, 1942- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Virtue.

Ethics.

Christian ethics.

ethics (philosophy).

Medical Subjects:

Ethics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2026]

Summary:

"The book is an intermediate introduction to virtue ethics, suitable for upper-division undergraduate, graduate, or seminary students. It places contemporary (“pure”) virtue ethics among modern ethical theories as efforts to secure the “foundations” of ethical norms and sketches its instigation in the work of Elizabeth Anscombe and Alasdair MacIntyre. Pure virtue ethics is criticized. The book proposes, instead, a practice of virtue ethics that resembles ancient virtue ethics with its more exploratory procedure and its aim of affecting the wisdom and happiness of its practitioners. It sketches the practices of Socrates, Aristotle, and Seneca the Stoic as illustrating what is proposed, but much of the book is a deeper exploration of the moral outlook of the New Testament with respect to the traits of character that it entails. Thus, the book offers an introduction to virtue ethics, a normative proposal of how to do it, and an extended illustration with the case of Christianity"-- Oxford Academic

Robert Campbell Roberts here offers an introduction to virtue ethics, suitable for students, that covers the topic along multiple dimensions, a historical and conceptual survey, a proposal for a new virtue ethics drawing on ancient practices, and a case study in support of that proposal.

Contents:

Modern ethical theory

The instigators of the later movement : Anscombe and MacIntyre

Virtue ethics today : “pure” virtue ethics

Ancient virtue ethics

Ethical frameworks

The psychology of character

Christian virtues and vices

Virtues, regulations, and regularity

The golden mean and the pursuit of wisdom

Wisdom

Humility

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Online resource; title from home page (Oxford Academic, viewed July 31, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Roberts, Robert Campbell, 1942- Virtue ethics

ISBN:

9780197848005

0197848001

9780197847992

0197847994

OCLC:

1574527150

Publisher Number:

CIPO000359202

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license