Abstract

The purpose of this work is to improve upon a normative ethical theory based on character by providing a more adequate concept of character than that used by other theories of virtue ethics. It is my plan to demonstrate the need for an ethics of character by showing that theories other than virtue ethics fail to successfully resolve issues in bioethics. The construction of the ethical theory will follow from an examination of attempts to apply theories to particular cases. Ultimately I hope to show that although it might sometimes be helpful to think in terms of rights, duties, or utility in regard to some morally significant situation, consistently doing so is a mistake. By showing why these attempts fail, I hope to provide justification for a new approach, provide the groundwork for a successful theory, and use this theory to resolve the difficult cases