Ethics: Virtue and Duty Ethics

Being a Good Person - Two Powerful Ways

The Big Idea: Two Paths to Being Good

Imagine you have a magic compass that always points toward “being a good person.” But here’s the exciting part: there are two different ways to read this compass!

Path 1 - Virtue Ethics: Focus on who you ARE (your character) Path 2 - Duty Ethics: Focus on what you DO (following rules)

Both paths lead to goodness. Let’s explore each one!

🌟 VIRTUE ETHICS BASICS

What is Virtue Ethics?

Virtue Ethics is like growing a garden inside yourself. Instead of just following rules, you grow good qualities in your heart.

Think of it this way:

• A rule says: “Don’t steal the cookie”
• Virtue Ethics says: “Become someone who doesn’t WANT to steal”

Simple Example:

• Your friend drops $5 on the ground
• A “rule follower” thinks: “The rule says don’t steal, so I’ll return it”
• A “virtue person” thinks: “I’m honest. Returning it is just who I am!”

Key Insight: Virtue Ethics asks: “What kind of person do I want to be?” not just “What should I do?”

🎯 WHAT IS VIRTUE?

Understanding Virtue

A virtue is a good quality that becomes part of who you are. It’s like a superpower you practice until it becomes natural.

graph TD
    A[Virtue] --> B[Good Quality]
    B --> C[Practice It Often]
    C --> D[Becomes Natural]
    D --> E[Part of Who You Are]

Examples of Virtues:

Real Life Story: Maya practices kindness every day. She helps her little brother, shares with friends, and is nice to new students. After a year, being kind isn’t hard anymore - it’s just who Maya is. That’s virtue!

Remember: A virtue isn’t something you DO once. It’s something you BECOME.

👤 CHARACTER

Building Your Character

Character is the collection of all your virtues - it’s like your moral fingerprint. It’s who you really are when no one is watching.

The Tree Analogy:

• Seeds = Small good choices you make
• Roots = Your growing virtues
• Trunk = Your character (strong and steady)
• Fruits = Good actions that come naturally

graph TD
    A[Small Good Choices] --> B[Growing Virtues]
    B --> C[Strong Character]
    C --> D[Natural Good Actions]

Example: Sam always puts his shopping cart back. Nobody makes him. Nobody watches. He just does it because he has good character. His virtues (responsibility, consideration) are part of him now.

Building Character Takes Time:

• Week 1: “I’m TRYING to be patient”
• Month 1: “I’m getting BETTER at patience”
• Year 1: “I AM a patient person”

Key Point: Character isn’t about being perfect. It’s about growing better day by day.

📜 DEONTOLOGY BASICS

What is Deontology (Duty Ethics)?

Deontology (don’t worry about the big word - it means “duty”) is the second path. It says: Follow the rules, no matter what happens!

Think of it like a referee in a game:

• The rules are the rules
• You follow them because they’re RIGHT
• Not because of what might happen

Virtue Ethics vs Duty Ethics:

Simple Example:

• Question: Should you tell a lie to make someone feel good?
• Virtue Ethics: “What would an honest person do?”
• Duty Ethics: “The rule says: Don’t lie. So no lying!”

⚖️ DUTY

Understanding Duty

A duty is something you MUST do because it’s the right thing - no exceptions, no excuses.

The Traffic Light Analogy:

• Red light = Stop (duty!)
• You stop even if no cars are coming
• You stop even if you’re late
• The rule doesn’t change based on your situation

Types of Duties:

graph TD
    A[DUTIES] --> B[To Yourself]
    A --> C[To Others]
    A --> D[To Society]
    B --> E[Keep your promises]
    C --> F[Don't harm people]
    D --> G[Follow fair laws]

Examples of Duties:

• Promise Keeping: You said you’d help. You must help.
• Truth Telling: Someone asks a question. You must be honest.
• Not Harming: You’re angry. You still can’t hit.

Real Life Story: Dad promised to take Lily to the park. Then his favorite show came on TV. But a promise is a duty! He turned off the TV and kept his promise. That’s duty in action.

Key Insight: Duties don’t care about your feelings or the outcome. They just need to be followed.

📋 MORAL RULES

Following Moral Rules

Moral rules are the specific commands that tell us our duties. They’re like a rulebook for being good.

Famous Moral Rules (from philosopher Immanuel Kant):

Rule 1: The Universality Test Before you act, ask: “What if EVERYONE did this?”

• You want to litter? What if everyone littered?
• You want to cheat? What if everyone cheated?

Rule 2: Treat People as Ends, Not Means Never use people like tools. Respect them as real people.

• Wrong: “I’ll be nice to him so he gives me candy”
• Right: “I’ll be nice because he deserves kindness”

graph TD
    A[MORAL RULES] --> B[Universality Test]
    A --> C[Respect All People]
    B --> D[Would it work if everyone did it?]
    C --> E[Never use people as tools]

Examples:

The Power of Rules: Moral rules are like guardrails on a mountain road:

• They might feel limiting
• But they keep everyone safe
• They work the same for everyone

🎁 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Two Paths, One Goal

Both Virtue Ethics and Duty Ethics want the same thing: good people doing good things.

Quick Comparison:

graph TD
    A[BEING GOOD] --> B[Virtue Ethics]
    A --> C[Duty Ethics]
    B --> D[Grow Good Character]
    C --> E[Follow Moral Rules]
    D --> F[Good Actions Flow Naturally]
    E --> F

When to Use Which?

• Use Virtue Ethics thinking when building who you are
• Use Duty Ethics thinking when facing tough choices

Final Story: Young Marcus faces a choice. He finds a wallet with money.

Virtue Thinking: “I’m an honest person. Returning it is what I do.”

Duty Thinking: “The rule is: don’t take what isn’t yours. I must return it.”

Either way, Marcus does the right thing!

✨ KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Virtue Ethics = Focus on building good character
2. Virtue = A good quality that becomes part of you
3. Character = Who you are when no one is watching
4. Duty Ethics = Follow moral rules, no exceptions
5. Duty = What you MUST do because it’s right
6. Moral Rules = Specific commands for being good

Remember: You don’t have to choose just one path. The best people use BOTH - they build virtues AND follow rules!

“Be good, do good, and goodness will follow you.”