Does the concept of civic virtue have any place in public health ethics?

Background: The Aristotelian notion of virtue includes feeling as well as acting, as in a disposition or way of being. In ethical decision-making, virtue reflects a disposition to reasoned action whereby thought and feeling help to shape moral outcomes. Virtue further applied to public health and civic engagement supports a balanced approach which advocates human flourishing through a fair distribution of resources while simultaneously preventing practices that allow the rampant use of resources by one group to hinder flourishing in another. John Rawls' suggests that individuals have two roles, as private and as public citizen. In the private sphere, individuals are free to practice those traditions that define moral, philosophical or religious conceptions that include personal attitudes, beliefs and values that shape behavior and relationships. In the public sphere, citizens participate in public discourse and are represented within the political realm. This political realm is supported by the society's basic structure and, in a liberal democracy, is defined by principles of equal justice.

Theoretical Framework: Aristotelian notions of virtue and John Rawls' concepts of justice as fairness and participatory citizenship

Implications for Practice: A goal of practice of public health is fair distribution of health resources while simultaneously maintaining respect for rights, liberty (individual freedoms) and cultural differences. Applying civic virtue in the form of advocacy which can foster habits that improve the health of populations is a core activity of public health.