What sets Aristotelian virtue ethics apart from Kantian or utilitarian ethics?

There are a variety of differences between Aristotelian virtue ethics and Kantian or utilitarian ethics. One main way virtue ethics is distinguished from the latter two, however, is through its wider focus on living well rather than right action. Whereas, for example, Benthamite utilitarianism focuses on whether an action maximises utility, and Kantian deontology focuses on whether an action meets the categorical imperative, Aristotelian virtue ethics is concerned with achieving ‘eudaimonia’, variously translated as happiness or human flourishing. This is not the remitof a single or several actions, but rather the entirety of one’s life. Therefore, Aristotelian virtue ethics distinguishes itself through prioritising an agent’s life rather than whether an act is right or wrong.

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