Virtue ethics and ethical decision-making in medicine

Virtue ethics is an agent-centered approach that is concerned with good and bad character rather than right or wrong action. It is based on the virtues and moral character of the agent. Morality of the physician is emphasized in medicine as well، which demonstrates its affinity with virtue ethics. Nevertheless، a theory of applied or medical ethics should provide a criterion for ethical decision making by instructing what should be done، something which، according to some philosophers، is incompatible with virtue ethics. This article aimed to demonstrate how virtue ethics can offer rules and guidelines by resorting to the moral agent and emphasizing virtues، and help physicians to make decisions when faced with dilemmas. For this purpose، examples about abortion and selling kidneys for transplantation were provided. Some of the most important advantages of virtue ethics include: context-dependence and attention to relevant realities; the importance of emotions and the likely motivations of the people involved; and finally emphasis on exemplar based on the sensitivity and practical wisdom of the virtuous agent. These advantages cause virtue ethics to be better positioned than other approaches to solving problems in medical ethics.