Final answer:
The exhibition of virtue by figures like Jesus Christ challenges the utilitarian approach, emphasizing character over consequences. Virtue ethics offers a richer moral framework that includes personal integrity and reflects the noble soul concept, where ethics stem from individual character excellence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ability to exhibit virtue in adverse conditions, as shown by figures like Jesus Christ, presents a challenge to the utilitarian approach to morality, which is focused on the consequences of actions and the maximization of overall happiness. Virtue ethics, by contrast, emphasizes the importance of morality's bearing on the character and integrity of the individual, even in adversity. Virtue ethics suggests that right actions flow from a noble soul with the right character traits, focusing on internal qualities rather than utilitarian outcomes.
In philosophy, the concept of the noble soul reflects an individual who exercises virtue for its own sake, which may not always align with utilitarian principles. Figures like Jesus Christ embody virtues such as compassion and self-sacrifice, which can sometimes conflict with the action that would lead to the greatest good for the greatest number, a central utilitarian belief. The noble soul prioritizes moral virtues and individual character excellence, which may complement utilitarian ethics by providing a more complex moral framework that includes personal integrity and moral steadfastness.