An Analysis of Michael Slote's Rational and Moral Approach to the Explanation of the Nature of Virtue

Moral philosophers hold that virtue is a character trait that can be considered as a model for the moral agent’s behavior. Michael A. Slote, a contemporary moral philosopher, viewed virtue from a different perspective and presented a new account of virtue ethics. He adopted a comprehensive attitude towards explaining virtue. Criticizing and modifying the ethical conceptions of philosophers such as Aristotle, he has analyzed the nature of virtue and the relationship between virtues in the different situations from different moral and rational perspectives. In this article, after indicating Slote’s moral thoughts and his agent-based version of virtue ethics, the foundations and constituents of his account of virtue are discussed. He holds an ontological view to present the relativity of virtues, to identify them, and finally to resolve the conflicts between them. He maintains that the function of virtues can be interpreted in terms of psychological cognitive, conative, and affective aspects. In his view, the virtues of "flexibility" and "practical reason" are two qualities which can both bring about the unity of virtues and resolve the conflicts between them.