RLEIGIOUS STUDIES A LEVEL
WJEC EDUQAS EXEMPLAR ANSWERS
VIRTUE THEORY
Explain Jesus’ teachings on Virtue (20)
Virtue Theory is the idea of working to become a better person by improving our good
characteristics and removing our bad ones. It is a teleological approach (has an end
goal/purpose) and is agent centred. This means that it is focused on an individual improving
themselves, rather than following a set of rules. This essay will explain Jesus’ teachings on
virtue, including reference to Plato and Aquinas.
Virtue Ethics is deeply rooted within religion and so many turn to Jesus to understand which
virtues He expected from them. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus lists virtues and each one is
promised a reward. For example, Jesus said “blessed are the peacemakers” where people are
meant to bring reconciliation and those who possess this virtue will be called the “Children of
God”. These virtues are also known as the Beatitudes (supreme blessedness or grace) indicating
that people should follow Jesus and other virtuous people by imitating them because they will
receive a divine reward in the end.
Much like Jesus’ promised telos of salvation, Plato focuses on the concept of eudaimonia
(supreme happiness and human flourishing) and argues that we should aim for the highest
goodness by practising virtues over vices. He introduces the four cardinal virtues which he
claims are the most important. These are: Prudence (wisdom), justice (fairness), temperance
(restraint) and courage. The Cardinal Virtues can also be seen in Jesus’ teachings, for example,
in the Bible it says: “learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression” and “add to your faith
virtue: and to virtue knowledge: and to knowledge temperance”. This suggests that the Bible
supports the idea of prioritising certain virtues and those who follow Jesus would receive
Eudaimonia as an eschatological reward in the end.
Furthermore, Aristotle supported Jesus’ belief that we work towards a purpose, though much
like Plato, he believed that to be eudaimonia. To achieve eudaimonia, it is necessary to develop
qualities of a character that will help society to live harmoniously and peacefully. He introduced
the Golden Mean, a way to find a balance between two extremes (the vice of excess and the
vice of deficiency. The exact virtue may depend on the circumstances of a situation, so the
individual will need to apply their phronesis to calculate it exactly. Jesus led the virtuous life by
doing what was right and so both Christianity and Virtue Theory prioritise doing your best for
others. Aristotle believed that being virtuous led to the establishment of a good community
and, similarly, Christianity teaches we should “love thy neighbour”. This indicates that the good
of the community is paramount for both Aristotle and Jesus.
