The last of the three ethical theories which we will examine is virtue ethics. This ethical framework emphasises the virtues, or character, of the individual as opposed to focusing on their actions. In other words it tells us what sort of person we ought to be and what characteristics make a person virtuous. By becoming a virtuous person we will learn and habituate towards choosing the right action when faced with an ethical dilemma. Aristotle, claimed that by being a virtuous person and acting in accordance with reason individuals will flourish (which he refers to a ‘eudaimonia’).

The question is - what are the characteristics or virtues that we should adopt? Aristotle reports that virtuous characteristics lie between extremes. For example, on one hand we have recklessness and on the other we have cowardliness. The mean between these two extreme characteristics is courage which is a virtuous characteristic.

This form of ethical framework often guides which professional values we as healthcare professionals should adopt. In other words, they tell us what kind of doctor or health professional we ought to be. These include values, or virtues, such as altruism, beneficence, non-maleficence, fidelity, candour and continued professional development to mention just a few. This we can trace back all the way back to Ancient Greece and to the Hippocratic Oath which is the first example we have of a formalised ethical code for those practicing medicine.

Another example of this at work is the Physicians charter:

“To maintain the fidelity of medicine’s social contract during this turbulent time, we believe that physicians must reaffirm their active dedication to the principles of professionalism, which entails not only their personal commitment to the welfare of their patients but also collective efforts to improve the health care system for the welfare of society. This Charter on Medical Professionalism is intended to encourage such dedication and to promote an action agenda for the profession of medicine that is universal in scope and purpose.”

Welie, 2004:

“[A profession is a] collective of expert service providers who have jointly and publicly committed to always give priority to the existential needs and interests of the public they serve above their own and who in turn are trusted by the public to do so.”

Nath et al., 2005:

“Higher professionalism may be defined as a service that transcends self-interest and manifests when the task is poorly defined, solutions are not available or affordable and rendering service is not in one’s own best financial, social, or physical interest.”

For a summary of virtue ethics check out the video links below: