Aristotle's Virtue Ethics Aristotle in his virtue ethics states that a virtuous individual is someone with ideal traits. These characteristic traits normally arise from an innate tendency of the individual but should be cultivated. After they are cultivated, these character traits supposedly become stable in an individual. Moral consequentialists and deontologists are normally concerned with universal doctrines that can be used in any situation requiring moral interpretation. Unlike these theorists, Aristotle's virtue ethics is concerned with general questions such as “what is a good life,” “what are appropriate social and family values,” and “how one should live” (Bejczy 32). Aristotle developed his virtue ethics based on three central principles; eudaimonia, ethics of care and agent-based theories. Eudaimonia states that virtues can be seen in how an individual thrives; thriving according to this concept refers to the ability to perform one's duties with distinct accuracy (Bejczy 33). The distinct function of human beings according to Aristotle is reasoning, and a worthy life is characterized by good reasoning. Agent-based theory emphasizes that virtues are determined by common institutions that people use to label other people's traits as admirable. According to Aristotle's virtue ethics, a virtue such as honesty does not necessarily refer to the tendency of people to act honestly, or to the classification of virtue as a desirable trait. Aristotle instead argues that the virtue of honesty is predisposed and rooted in an individual (Bejczy 34). In virtue ethics, therefore, an individual cannot be labeled as honest because they do not cheat or observe honesty in their dealings. Furthermore......half of the document...the majority, rights become the greatest good (Troyer 60). Conclusion Aristotle's virtue ethics argues that morality should be based on an individual's ideal traits that are internalized as opposed to observing the outward actions or consequences of one's behavior. Kant, on the contrary, argues that for an individual to be considered morally upright, his actions should be based on duty. Mills argues that if an action provides long-term pleasure for the majority, then it is morally right. Works Cited Bejczy, Istvan. Virtue Ethics in the Middle Ages: Comments on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, 1200-1500. Leiden: Brill, 2008. Print.Troyer, John. The classical utilitarians Bentham and Mill. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishers, 2003. Print.Wike, Victoria S. Kant on Happiness in Ethics. Albany: Albany State University Press, 1994. Print.