Aristotle And Marcus Cicero s Perceptions Of Virtue...

Commerce in the twenty first century has developed into a complex global system of trading. The institutions comprising the economy, engage in activities motivated by self interest. Activities such as attaining loans and generating income have become norms in today’s society, and are considered supplementary to the economy as a whole. But philosophers have always questioned the morality of how one conducts himself in society. In this essay, we will examine Plato, Aristotle, Saint Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Marcus Cicero’s perceptions of what virtue ethics are, and how they facilitated the development of economic society. Morality, distinctly defines what is right and what is wrong, but theory of virtue ethics is the mechanism an individual uses to make those moral decisions. Virtue is essentially having a good moral character. And ethics are a set of rules that influence an individual’s behavior, but are subjective; because in part, these rules are developed by the individual’s perception for what is morally good or bad. One aspect of virtue ethics is that, the decisions are not as important as the process an individual uses to develop of one’s moral character over time. Comprehension of this concept is important, as it will allow an individual to achieve the ultimate goal of happiness. As there was no economics concepts in the thirteenth century, moral philosophies such as the theory of virtue ethics heavily determined how individuals behave and engage in the