"From the philosophy of Aristotle and Confucius, to Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologiae, to the paintings of Raphael, Botticelli, and many more, fascination with the virtues has endured and evolved to fit a wide range of cultural, religious, and philosophical contexts through the centuries. This Very Short Introduction introduces readers to the various virtues: the moral virtues, the intellectual virtues, and the theological virtues, as well as the capital vices. It explores the role of the virtues in moral life, their cultivation, and how they offer ways of thinking and acting that are alternatives to mere rule-following. It also considers the relationship of the virtues to our emotions, desires, and rational capacities." -- Jacket flap.

"The genesis for this VSI [Very Short Introduction] came from our earlier edited work, Virtues and their vices (Oxford University Press, 2014)"--Acknowldegments, page xix.

Whose virtues, which vices? --Moral Virtues: feeling good about being good -- Intellectual virtues: being mindful -- Islamic and Confucian accounts of the virtues -- Theological virtues: be good, by God! -- Capital vices: love gone wrong -- Conclusion.