Which statement best represents a concern about relying on virtue alone for ethical guidance?

• A. It requires consensus on the definition of Good
• B. It yields universal agreement about what is Good
• C. It ignores context and situational factors
• D. It guarantees the right action in all cases

Answer: (C)

Relying on virtue alone focuses on character traits that shape how we act, but it doesn’t provide clear, situation-specific guidance. Real-world bioethical decisions often hinge on context, relationships, and competing pressures. A virtuous stance helps us aim for good character, yet the right action in a particular case can depend on nuanced factors—conflicting duties, power dynamics, patient preferences, and the specifics of the setting. Because virtue ethics centers on what kind of person we ought to be rather than a precise rule for every scenario, it can leave us without concrete direction in complex, context-rich dilemmas. That’s the primary concern: it ignores context and situational factors. The other statements don’t capture this shortcoming as directly. It’s not about needing consensus on what Good is, and virtue ethics does not guarantee the right action in all cases; in fact, it may fall short precisely where context matters.