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Abstract
Any attempt to rescue the notion of character traits from the attack of situationism requires a clear understanding of the notion of character trait in virtue ethics. It is important to distinguish the notion of character traits as understood by virtue ethicists from a situationist interpretation of it. The concepts of virtue and character have flourished since the time of Greek philosophy. Modern virtue ethicists draw heavily on the Aristotelian notion of virtue and character. As an approach in normative ethics, virtue ethics has an advantage over other normative approaches of utilitarianism and deontology in terms of its focus on an agent as a whole, as opposed to an evaluation of any particular action or behavior of an agent. Utilitarians and Deontologists place the foundation for morality in notions such as rights, duties and obligations, whereas virtue ethicists focus on the inner states of dispositions, habits, and a developed sense of personal integrity known as the character of the individual. The moral matter in virtue ethics is not only what sort of action we ought to do but also what kind of person we ought to be. Virtues are strengths of character that enable people to flourish as a complete moral individual. A virtuous person acquires practical wisdom. Practical wisdom is the ability to know when and how best to apply moral perspectives.