Julia Annas’developmental virtue ethics： enlightenment for the construction of medical ethics
10.12026/j.issn.1001-8565.2026.03.14
- VernacularTitle:朱莉娅·安娜斯发展式的美德伦理学对医学伦理学构建的启示
- Author:
Hongyao ZHAO
1
;
Xufeng LU
1
;
Shan ZHANG
1
Author Information
1. School of Basic Medicine， Air Force Medical University， Chongqing 400038， China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
virtue ethics;
medical ethics;
right action;
right emotion
- From:
Chinese Medical Ethics
2026;39(3):377-383
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Medical ethics aims to address moral issues in medical practice. When analyzing the right and wrong in medicine， it emphatically interprets “what medicine ought to be” and focuses on how physicians should act correctly. Hence， highly directive ethical theories such as deontology and utilitarianism have become the fundamental theories for medical decision-making. Nevertheless， as the concentrated embodiment of medical ethical values， virtue ethics also constitutes an important component of medical ethics. Drawing on Julia Annas’s creative development of virtue ethics theories regarding “right action” and “right emotion，” which is based on the distinction between “virtue learners” and “virtue possessors，” this paper provides a new theoretical perspective and practical approach for bridging the divide between heteronomy and autonomy in medical ethics， enhancing the care for medical staff’s emotions in medical ethics education， and promoting mutual understanding and communication between physicians and patients.
