Ethics with character Virtues and the ethical social worker PAUL ADAMS University of Hawaii at Manoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work This article explores the relevance to social work of those as- pects of applied ethics that are not primarily about identify ng and resolving dilemmas. It examines the potential of the ethical tradition rooted in the virtues and character of the ractitioner-from Aristotle and Hippocrates to contempo- rary virtue-based ethics in medicine-to guide and enrich inderstanding of the social work profession and the disposi tions or qualities of character its practice requires and develops In its emphasis on obligation, derived from values, pri In- ciples and standards of conduct, social work ethics focuses on the behavior required or expected of members of a profes- sion(e. g, Congress, 1999; Dolgoff, Loewenberg Harrington 2008; Reamer, 2006a, 2006b). "Ethics"-in Strom-Gottfried's (2007) succinct definition-"refers to the embodiment of values nto guidelines for behavior"(p. 1).[Here, it is clear from the context, she means the applied ethics of a profession, not ethics as that branch of philosophy also known as moral philosophy. I Social works literature on ethics, like its curricula, emphasizes principles, rules, obligations, and dilemmas; it offers guide ines for professional conduct and for identifying and resolving conflicts of principles and the dilemmas that arise from them Journal of Sociology Social Welfare, September 2009, Volume XXXVI, Number 3Ethics with Character: Virtues and the Ethical Social Worker PAUL ADAMS University of Hawaii at Manoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work This article explores the relevance to social work of those as￾pects of applied ethics that are not primarily about identify￾ing and resolving dilemmas. It examines the potential of the ethical tradition rooted in the virtues and character of the practitioner^from Aristotle and Hippocrates to contempo￾rary virtue-based ethics in medicine—to guide and enrich our understanding of the social work profession and the disposi￾tions or qualities of character its practice requires and develops. Key words: ethics, professional ethics, social work ethics, virtue ethics, Aristotelian ethics In its emphasis on obligation, derived from values, prin￾ciples, and standards of conduct, social w^ork ethics focuses on the behavior required or expected of members of a profes￾sion (e.g.. Congress, 1999; Dolgoff, Loewenberg, & Harrington, 2008; Reamer, 2006a, 2006b). "Ethics"—in Strom-Gottfried's (2007) succinct definition—"refers to the embodiment of values into guidelines for behavior" (p. 1). [Here, it is clear from the context, she means the applied ethics of a profession, not ethics as that branch of philosophy also known as moral philosophy] Social work's literature on ethics, like its curricula, emphasizes principles, rules, obligations, and dilemmas; it offers guide￾lines for professional conduct and for identifying and resolving conflicts of principles and the dilemmas that arise from them. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, September 2009, Volume XXXVI, Number 3 83