British Journal of Social Work (2002)32, 1015-1036 Virtue ethics and social work Being lucky, Realistic, and not Doing ones Duty Graham McBeath and Stephen A. Webb Graham B McBeath is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Universiry College, Northampton. He writes mainly interdisciplinary work utilizing philosophy, and political and social theory to explore cul nurallpolitical practices such as social work. His current research is on 'boredom and on complex ity and social flows. In the past he has done DH research on the implementation of the Children Act. Other writing on social work ethics has appeared in B/Sw Stephen A Webb is Lecturer in Social Work at the Universiry of Sussex. He is currently writing a book for Palgrave-Macmillan entitled Social Work in Risk Society: Social and Cultural Perspectives. Here he analyses the development and practice of social work as part of the root condition of modern risk society. His other research interests incude evidence-based briefings in children and family work: new information technologies and the caring professions; and social work theory and ethics. orrespondence to Graham McBeath, Department of Sociology and Politics, University College, Northampton, Northants. NN2 7AL, UK. E-mail: graham@spooner. demon. co. uk: Stephen Webb, Centre for Social Policy and Social Work, University of Sussex Falmer, Nr Brighton, Sussex, UK. Few people can hush the small voice that tells us what is night Radio 4.8 October 2000 Summary This article argues that in a complex socio-political world, social work ethics needs to re-cast the moral identity of the social worker in terms of virtue ethics. We review virtue theory's Aristotelian foundations and criticisms of Kantian and utilitarian theory and show how they apply to social work. Subsequently we offer an account of a virtue sed social work that questions the validity of several models of practice currently fashionable. Virtue theory emphasizes the priority of the individual moral agent who has acquired virtues commensurate with the pursuit of a revisable conception of the good life-the well-being of all in a defined community. The virtues are the acquired inner qualities of humans-character-the possession of which, if applied in due meas- ure, will typically contribute to the realization of the good life or 'eudaimonia. The role of the virtuous social worker is shown to be one that necessitates appropriate application of intellectual and practical virtues such as justice, reflection, perception, judgement, bravery, prudence, liberality and temperance. This'self-flourishing'worker, C 2002 British Association of social WorkBritish Journal of Social Work (2002) 32, 1015–1036 Virtue Ethics and Social Work: Being Lucky, Realistic, and not Doing ones Duty Graham McBeath and Stephen A. Webb Graham B. McBeath is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at University College, Northampton. He writes mainly interdisciplinary work utilizing philosophy, and political and social theory to explore cul￾tural/political practices such as social work. His current research is on ‘boredom’ and on ‘complex￾ity and social flows’. In the past he has done DH research on the implementation of the Children Act. Other writing on social work ethics has appeared in BJSW. Stephen A. Webb is Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Sussex. He is currently writing a book for Palgrave-Macmillan entitled Social Work in Risk Society: Social and Cultural Perspectives. Here he analyses the development and practice of social work as part of the root condition of modern risk society. His other research interests include evidence-based briefings in children and family work; new information technologies and the caring professions; and social work theory and ethics. Correspondence to GrahamMcBeath, Department of Sociology and Politics, University College, Northampton, Northants. NN2 7AL, UK. E-mail: graham@spooner.demon.co.uk; Stephen Webb, Centre for Social Policy and Social Work, University of Sussex, Falmer, Nr Brighton, Sussex, UK. E-mail: s.a.webb@sussex.ac.uk Few people can hush the small voice that tells us what is right. Radio 4, 8 October 2000 Summary This article argues that in a complex socio-political world, social work ethics needs to re-cast the moral identity of the social worker in terms of virtue ethics. We review virtue theory’s Aristotelian foundations and criticisms of Kantian and utilitarian theory and show how they apply to social work. Subsequently we offer an account of a virtue￾based social work that questions the validity of several models of practice currently fashionable. Virtue theory emphasizes the priority of the individual moral agent who has acquired virtues commensurate with the pursuit of a revisable conception of the good life—the well-being of all in a defined community. The virtues are the acquired inner qualities of humans—character—the possession of which, if applied in due meas￾ure, will typically contribute to the realization of the good life or ‘eudaimonia’. The role of the virtuous social worker is shown to be one that necessitates appropriate application of intellectual and practical virtues such as justice, reflection, perception, judgement, bravery, prudence, liberality and temperance. This ‘self-flourishing’ worker,  2002 British Association of Social Workers