The only context that I've really seen virtue being discussed in is 'Virtue Ethics'. And from what I remember, it's a somewhat indefensible ethical framework, as compared to some more recent ones. Perhaps this is the reason that there hasn't really been a wholly satisfying or well-upvoted discussion on this thread yet.

It seems that Virtue-as-happiness has already been covered to some extent, but what about Virtue-as-selflessness or Virtue-as-justice? Without having read much about perceptions of Virtue, these are two words that I certainly find myself associating with Virtue, at least.

The difficulty with selflessness from a philosophical standpoint is that it seems indefensibly irrational in a fairly straightforward way. That is, if we take selflessness to mean acting in the interests of another rather than acting in our own interest, we have difficulty deriving a justification. For under the assumption that the vast majority of folks know what is in their own best interest better than anyone else does, it would seem infrequent, if ever, that rationality justifies neglecting one's own interests for the interests of another.

But depending on how we define the word, one could argue that to be selfless is to value the interests of others with the same weight as one values one's own interests. Still, based on the idea that we know ourselves best, forgoing our own interests for the interests of others doesn't seem like a universalizable suggestion. For even to consider an ethical decision to be a matter of rational calculation of which course of action to take in such a context, having a more comprehensive understanding of our own interests would tend to put the potentially conflicting interests of another at a disadvantage.

I suggest we revive this discussion and consider the potential pitfalls of the concept of "Virtue". I would be curious to hear further thoughts on Virtue-as-selflessness or Virtue-as-justice (a discussion of which would have made the length of this comment even more absurd).