Philosophical Background
Virtue Ethics provides the philosophical foundation for character education. Put simply, Virtue Ethics is the theory that living a good life necessitates developing good character. This idea can be traced back to the ideas of Plato and Aristotle in ancient times when imparting both intellectual skills and virtuous behaviour were considered the goals of education.
Aristotle believed that only through the application of both virtue and rationality could people develop practical wisdom or ‘phronesis’ to help them to make decisions which would lead to ‘eudaimonia’ or ‘flourishing’.
Follow the link below to hear an interview with Lord O'Shaughnessy, Founder of Floreat Education on this topic: