Since the 1960s, the virtues have been making a comeback in various fields of study. This book offers an overview of the history of virtues from Plato to Nietzsche, discusses the philosophy and psychology of virtues, and analyzes different applications of virtue in epistemology, positive psychology, ethics, and politics. ""Olli-Pekka Vainio's Virtue offers a concise and entertaining invitation to the tradition of virtue ethics. Paying special attention to the development of virtue theory (particularly in its Western forms), Vainio deftly guides the reader through historical and contemporary debates, which he illustrates with abundant examples and thought experiments. An ideal introductory text for students of philosophy and theology, Virtue is, so to speak, its own reward: a learned but enjoyable reflection on the good life."" --Richard Amesbury, Professor of Theological Ethics, Director of the Institute for Social Ethics, University of Zurich, Switzerland ""Drawing wisdom from the greatest traditional and contemporary philosophers, and relating their insights to new scientific research and common-sense situations, Olli-Pekka Vainio has written one of the finest, clearest, and most balanced introductions to the theory and practice of virtue ethics available today."" --Andrew Pinsent, Faculty of Theology and Religion, Oxford University Olli-Pekka Vainio is a University Lecturer of Systematic Theology at the University of Helsinki, Finland. His publications include Beyond Fideism: Negotiable Religious Identities (2011) and Engaging Luther (2011). He also is a Member of the Center for Theological Inquiry, Princeton, New Jersey.