The virtues in their place: Virtue ethics in medicine

We are currently in the midst of a revival of interest in the virtues. A nu mber of contemporary moral philosophers have defended a virtue-based approa ch to ethics. But does this renewal of interest in the virtues have much to contribute to medical ethics and medical practice ? This paper critically discusses this question. It considers and rejects a number of important arg uments that purport to establish the significance of the virtues for medica l practice. Against these arguments, the paper seeks to show that while the virtues have a genuine role to play in medical ethics, it is a limited rol e, one that is subordinate to the role that other moral concepts such as ru les and principles play.