The following text discusses ethics.
Virtue ethics focuses on character rather than actions—asking not "what should I do?" but "what kind of person should I be?" Aristotle argued that virtues like courage and generosity are dispositions to feel and act appropriately, lying between extremes. Courage is a mean between cowardice and recklessness. This framework faces objections: it offers little guidance for dilemmas (what would a virtuous person do?), and virtues may conflict (honesty versus kindness). Defenders argue that practical wisdom—itself a virtue—enables navigating such conflicts, and that rule-based ethics faces similar problems of application.
What objection to virtue ethics does the text present?
It focuses too much on specific actions
It provides limited guidance when virtues conflict or dilemmas arise
It denies that character exists
It offers too many rigid rules to follow
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the correct answer. Objections include that "it offers little guidance for dilemmas" and "virtues may conflict (honesty versus kindness)."
- Evidence: Little guidance; virtue conflicts.
- Reasoning: Focus on character doesn't tell you what to do in hard cases.
- Conclusion: Limited practical guidance is the objection.
Choice A is incorrect because virtue ethics focuses on character, not actions. Choice C is incorrect because character is central to the theory. Choice D is incorrect because it offers virtues, not rigid rules.