The thought experiment was designed to exhibit the different implications of a deontological theory that says murder is always wrong and utilitarianism. It is set up to make it really hard for a consequentialist to not push the guy and really easy for a deontologist not to push the guy. It wasn’t invented to aid our thinking about virtue ethics and doesn’t try to demand a particular answer from virtue ethics. Aristotle’s virtues don’t map to the situation well and one could invent a virtue that would recommend either course of action.
The relevant thought experiment for the virtue ethicist is something like the mad bodhisattva- If you could exhibit every vice and thus make yourself miserable but your misery would guide hundreds onto the virtuous path (thereby maximizing utility) would that be the right thing to do?
The thought experiment was designed to exhibit the different implications of a deontological theory that says murder is always wrong and utilitarianism. It is set up to make it really hard for a consequentialist to not push the guy and really easy for a deontologist not to push the guy. It wasn’t invented to aid our thinking about virtue ethics and doesn’t try to demand a particular answer from virtue ethics. Aristotle’s virtues don’t map to the situation well and one could invent a virtue that would recommend either course of action.
The relevant thought experiment for the virtue ethicist is something like the mad bodhisattva- If you could exhibit every vice and thus make yourself miserable but your misery would guide hundreds onto the virtuous path (thereby maximizing utility) would that be the right thing to do?