The virtue based school of Ethics is one of the oldest of the normative schools of philosophy, going back to Plato at least (and thus probably Socrates), and developed by Aristotle and many later philosophers, down to contemporary times.

Every action that a person performs leaves its impression on his or her faculties. If repeated, it leaves a predisposition for the same action. When this becomes a stable predisposition it constitutes a habit. A good habit is called a virtue, and a bad habit is called a vice. One's actions thus affect one's character. Just as an athlete, in training, by repeating exercises, improves his physical form and acquires a facility for doing them, so people can acquire virtues (and vices) through education in them, and effort.

This view of the nature of things accords well with what people perceive is actually the case, to judge from the upbringing and education they desire for their children, the type of person they want them to grow up to be, to marry, etc.

Plato, in his Laws (360 BC), about the purpose of legislation, argues that the lawgiver must always aim at a single goal and that is virtue. Thus the constitution should reliably produce citizens who possess the virtues, fostering in particular the four upon which the others hinge, which are considered to be prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude - the so called Cardinal Virtues¹.²

This school of Ethics has the great virtue itself of relating laws and conduct to the virtues: the person who does good is the one who is virtuous, and good laws foster virtue, and thus form good people. This view predominated among philosophers and legislators alike until relatively recent times.

Other schools of Ethics, developed much more recently, are based more on rules of conduct (deontology) or calculations of the consequences of an action (consequentialism). Both of these weaken the link between virtue and behaviour, and legislation in particular.