Assessing the Role of Virtue Ethics in Psychology: A Commentary on the Work of Blaine Fowers, Frank Richardson, and Brent Slife

Drawing on the work of Fowers, Richardson, and Slife, this commentary offers an overview and critical assessment of the theory and practice of virtue ethics in psychology. The commentary highlights the importance of a hermeneutic or relational understanding of selfhood and the value of interpreting human meanings within the context of a shared tradition. I conclude with some critical remarks that focus on reconciling the assumptions of naturalism with hermeneutic philosophy, the issue of conservatism in virtue ethics, and problems of access and efficacy in approaches to psychotherapy.