Virtue Ethics vs Deontology and Ethical Egoism

Executive Interview with a Teacher

For this interview, a high school teacher was interviewed. He described his ethical beliefs to me in person. The interview was conducted in his classroom and was recorded using video for future reference. The interview was semi-structured, which allowed for a more reflective and immersive but also guided interview process to take place (Dearnley, 2005). The analysis for this paper is taken from that interview recording.

Description of the Subject’s Ethical Beliefs

The ethical beliefs and practices of a teacher are an important foundation for providing quality education. The subject’s self-described ethical beliefs were based on the system of virtue ethics. Virtue ethics is centered around acting in accordance with ideals that if pursued will improve one’s moral character; ultimately the development of one’s character contributes to the development of society as a whole, as one’s good and right (i.e., virtuous) conduct will positively impact others and perhaps even inspire others to live in the same virtuous manner (Trianosky, 1990).

As teachers, exercising virtue ethics can involve cultivating personal values such as kindness, respect, balance, and integrity while attending to the needs of others. Such action models strong ethical tenets within educational contexts to constructively shape how students think about moral decisions. Ultimately, a teacher’s commitment to virtue ethics impels students to positively contribute to their world and ethically move through difficult circumstances in both academic and everyday life.

The subject noted that as a teacher, he has encountered a number of ethical challenges in the workplace. Most notably, he has been confronted with issues of equity — providing students with equal access to learning opportunities — and the challenge of finding workable compromises between competing interests. In addressing these challenges, he has found it essential to approach them from an ethical standpoint. This involves critically evaluating questions about what is fair or just for each party involved in order to ensure that all are treated fairly. In arriving at these conclusions, he has striven to be mindful that his decisions can potentially result in short and long-term effects on individuals and their communities. Thus, when faced with an ethical challenge in education, he has attempted to justify his reasoning within the context of the situation by emphasizing fairness at every stage of the decision-making process.

As the subject noted, virtue ethics places emphasis on character and how one\\\\\\\'s praiseworthy or reprehensible behavior affects the outcome of any given situation. In order for us to better understand our ethical obligations, we must reflect on what actions best convey moral excellence so as to cultivate virtuous habits. One must also strive to make meaningful connections between our decisions and the values that we hold dear, such as truth, justice and respect for our colleagues. In doing this, not only can one make positive changes in our workplace, but also internalize a broader sense of morality which will extend beyond our jobs and into all aspects of life.

The subject also stressed that virtue ethics is one of the most important ethical philosophies that can help students become better in many aspects of their life, as it stresses that individuals should develop good character traits, such as diligence, respect, honesty and integrity, to navigate the world and make moral choices. By developing these types of character traits, students can foster greater self-esteem and therefore increase their motivation for achieving higher academic goals. Emphasizing the idea that it takes more than just acquiring knowledge to become a competent student keeps them from falling into shallow pursuits and instead encourages them to engage in intellectually stimulating activities.

Analysis

A study of the high school teacher\\\\\\\'s moral development showcases an evolution in his view of Virtue Ethics. Through his experiences as a teacher, he embraced an understanding that ethical conduct is not binary but exists on a spectrum that draws upon self-awareness and judgment (Froming, 1978). The teacher was able to move away from seeing Virtue Ethics simply as compliance with existing codes and instead focus on self-development through conscious decisions in both large and small matters. Particularly, the look back at how \\\\\\\'the good life\\\\\\\' is constructed revealed a personal commitment to always strive for virtuous living. Ultimately, this journey enlightened the teacher with a newfound appreciation for the nuanced approach demanded by moral decisions as well as the difficult challenge ethics encounters in providing definitive answers to complex ethical questions.

The subject discussed virtue ethics, duty and the common good in his explication on his ethical beliefs. This suggests that there are numerous ethical theories implied in his discussion of ethics. Duty would refer perhaps to deontology, i.e., duty ethics, and the common good could refer to utilitarianism. In discussing these three theories the subject did emphasize their interconnectedness; focusing on how virtue ethics provide individuals with a moral compass while also allowing them to be aware of the needs of those around them. Additionally, the subject also focused on the idea that determining what is universally \\\\\\\'right\\\\\\\' can be murky and subjective, yet it does not take away from our responsibility as individuals to strive for finding solutions that serve both ourselves and those around us for the greater good.

Ultimately, however, virtue ethics, duty ethics (deontology), and the common good (utilitarianism) are three distinct approaches to ethical decision making (Van Staveren, 2007). Virtue ethics emphasize developing moral character and living according to certain moral values. Duty ethics emphasize following moral laws and rules, regardless of outcomes. Utilitarianism focuses on accomplishing the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people, referred to as the “common good”. Each of these approaches will often lead different conclusions in ethical debates and dilemmas. Therefore, proper understanding of these theories allows for greater clarity when determining right or wrong in a particular situation. This can provide guidance in how to respond morally in difficult circumstances and how best to prioritize within a given framework.

Thus, the teacher\\\\\\\'s ethical formulation suggests a unique combination of three major ethical theories: virtue ethics, deontology, and utilitarianism. Upon closer examination, however, there may be some inconsistencies in this teacher\\\\\\\'s usage of these theories. Virtue ethics may advocate for one to act without specific guidelines yet with an emphasis on character-building; deontology prescribes rigid adherence to certain rules; and utilitarianism is generally concerned with the greater good and outcomes-focused (Morrell & Dahlmann, 2022). This hybrid paradigm fuses elements of loyalty and respect for rules with a passionate effort towards self-improvement that may overestimate the effectiveness of individual action when considering broader social concerns. Despite any perceived shortcomings, however, the strength of this teacher\\\\\\\'s approach rests in the complexity of weighing relative importance among competing values. In assessing behavior from this standpoint, personal motivation is rooted not just in immediate goals or societal conventions but in introspective consideration of personal values as well.

Synthesis and Evaluation

This ethical formulation suggested by the teacher is particularly promising as it adopts an approach that empowers balanced consideration of major ethical theories. Virtue ethics, deontology and utilitarianism are different in their application to decision-making processes, but they all provide useful perspectives when it comes to moral deliberation. By combining them, this formulation is able to avoid the potential pitfalls of ethical egoism that may arise when relying solely on one philosophy of ethics based entirely on self-centered action/justification or subjective interpretation. It thus provides a comprehensive frame of reference for making morally responsible decisions without sacrificing their timeliness or relevance.

What is to be gained from having a balance of virtue ethics, duty ethics, and utilitarianism as the bedrock of one\\\\\\\'s system of ethics? By melding virtue ethics, duty ethics, and utilitarianism into a single comprehensive ethical system, one can access the best of all three moral frameworks. Virtue ethics provides character-based guidance to one\\\\\\\'s decision-making process; duty ethics emphasizes responsibility and accountability based on one’s state in life; while utilitarianism provides an impartial perspective capable of accounting for broader consequences of individual decisions and the common good. Such a combination can enable people to respond appropriately to any given situation based on a nuanced understanding of how virtue, duty, and utility all play a role in morality. This should effectively encourage moral behavior as well as prepare individuals to better navigate unique or difficult situations by providing them with valuable tools tailored to the context at hand.