Virtue ethics is one of the three primary philosophical approaches to the study of normative ethics, contrasted against both Kantian ethics, or deontology, and Utilitarian ethics, also known as consequentialism. Though the Kantian and Utilitarian approaches describe an ethical life as one based on adherence to duty and the outcome of one’s acts, respectfully, virtue ethics places distinct emphasis on the ‘good’ or ‘moral’ life and how ones personal character and virtue can achieve such an existence (Athanassoulis, pp. 1).
A significant component of virtue ethics is eudaimonism; a Greek term derived from Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. According to Aristotle, it is imperative to understand that every action has a unique aim, which is to achieve a good and favorable outcome. Athanassoulis explains that each thing has a specific function and is thus able to achieve the desired ‘good’ result when it acts in a manner that fulfills its specific function well (Athanassoulis, pp. 1).
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Let us consider a direct example, Enron, and delve into an ethical analysis of the situation based on the notion of eudaimonia. In contrast to the previous example of the inventor, Enron illustrates a company driven by a greed for monetary gain, with utter disregard for virtuous and ethical business practices. Though the company argued that simple accounting issues were at fault, it was the corporate culture of irresponsibility and greed, powerful vices, which ultimately led to its nasty downfall. Using the Aristotelian notion of virtue, it can be said that the company failed to flourish, and reach a state of eudaimonia, on account of its failure to adhere to true virtuous intentions and practices. Based on these examples, it can be seen that the virtuous pursuit of a goal will yield a desired result, while a pursuit based on vices will fall short of a fulfilled