Study the history of the concept of virtue. Well grounded research is an essential preliminary step in writing a thoughtful and informative essay on virtue. The Western idea of virtue originated with the Greeks; Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in particular. Greek philosophy developed specific definitions of the concept of virtue. Aristotle's ethics is a "virtue ethics" which interpreted virtue in a public sense rather than a private or subjective sense. which is often the case with modern ethics. A contemporary 20th century follower of Aristotle's virtue ethics is the American philosopher Alastair McIntyre. Eastern philosophical traditions such as Confucianism also developed rigorous and systematic concepts of virtue.
Choose a point of view for the essay. An essay on virtue can adopt a variety of viewpoints. For example, the essay may take the form of an exposition where you simply describe Aristotle's concept of virtue or compare and contrast Western and Eastern concepts of virtue. Another approach is to critique the shortcomings in the traditional concepts of virtue and supplement traditional concepts with more up-to-date ideas. Finally, a third approach may entail recommending a list of virtues that apply contemporary problems and circumstances in the global environment.
Write a rough draft or outline of the essay. Some writers like to create a detailed and specific outline for an essay before they begin the actual writing process. Other writers prefer to write a rough draft of the paper using the writing process as a means to formulate ideas and structure for the essay
Write a clear thesis statement and introductory paragraph. The thesis statement should introduce the problem and offer your solution to it. The thesis should be one to two sentences. The remainder of the introductions presents the major ideas and arguments of the essay in condensed form. Spell out the specific step used to make your argument.
Write the main body of the essay in a language and style appropriate for the targeted audience. If the essay is written for an ethics class, use an appropriate academic style. If the essay is intended for a professional or business environment include concepts and vocabulary specifically targeted to the particular groups. If you are presenting the paper to a youth group include examples that appeal to their experiences.
Summarize the arguments and major points of the essay in the essay's conclusion. The conclusion provides the opportunity to complete your thoughts about virtue and reminds the reader or listener about the essential steps of the argument. Academic essays typically anticipate possible objections to the paper and offer preliminary responses.