Foot, Philippa

"The good for humans must be understood in light of what humans naturally seek and need."

"Virtue ethics asks not 'what should I do?' but 'what kind of person should I become?'"

"The virtues are interconnected; one cannot possess true courage without wisdom and justice."

"Natural facts about human beings are relevant to moral philosophy in ways that modern ethics often ignores."

"Moral progress requires returning to insights about virtue that predate modern moral theory."

"The gap between moral knowledge and moral action is often bridged through habit and practice."

"A flourishing human life requires the development of multiple excellences across different domains."

"Evil often disguises itself through language and abstraction from concrete human reality."

"The evaluation of character depends on understanding both intention and consequence."

"Moral community is built on shared understandings of what constitutes human flourishing."

"We cannot adequately discuss virtue without reference to the particular forms of life in which it develops."

"The virtuous person is not rigidly bound by principle but flexible in judgment."

"Human beings are naturally inclined toward good, though this inclination can be corrupted or neglected."

"Moral language matters because how we describe actions shapes how we understand them."

"The problem of euthanasia reveals deep truths about our understanding of life and death."

"Practical wisdom is developed through experience and refinement of judgment over time."

"The division between ethics and metaphysics is artificial and harmful to both disciplines."

"A human being needs meaningful relationships to achieve anything approaching fulfillment."

"Morality grows from the soil of human nature, not from abstract logical principles."

"The natural law tradition understood that human good is grounded in human nature."

"We often fail morally not because we lack knowledge but because we fail to see clearly."

"Virtue requires recognizing both what we share with all humans and what is particular to our circumstances."

"The modern turn away from virtue ethics has left us without adequate resources for moral understanding."

"Moral agents are always embedded in webs of relationship and community that shape their possibilities."

"Truth in moral matters is discoverable through careful attention to human nature and experience."

"The virtues are not duties imposed upon us but excellences we can develop and enjoy."

"Character is revealed not in isolated choices but in consistent patterns of thought and action."

"Moral education is fundamentally about learning to love the right things and hate the wrong things."

"The unity of the virtues means that genuine virtue is rare and difficult to achieve."

"We are deceived if we think moral philosophy can proceed without attention to how people actually live."