The expansion of globalization, the rapid development of the Internet, social media, and communication technologies, together with increasing migration and the emergence of multicultural societies, has brought individuals into contact with diverse cultures, beliefs, and moral systems more than ever before. Consequently, the possibility of ethical coexistence among people holding different values and moral norms has become one of the central challenges in contemporary moral philosophy. Although the dominant approaches to this issue—namely, moral relativism, moral absolutism, and moral pluralism—possess significant theoretical strengths, they remain limited in providing a comprehensive framework for peaceful coexistence. This limitation stems from their primary emphasis on moral rules, principles, and judgments, while giving comparatively little attention to the moral character of ethical agents.
Using a descriptive-analytical methodology and drawing upon the theoretical frameworks of virtue ethics and virtue epistemology, the present study examines the possibility of ethical coexistence in multicultural societies from the perspective of moral and intellectual virtues. The findings indicate that sustainable coexistence is achieved neither by eliminating moral differences, nor by imposing a single moral framework, nor by unconditionally accepting all moral viewpoints. Rather, it depends on cultivating the virtuous character of citizens. Practical wisdom, intellectual humility, justice, courage, intellectual empathy, open-mindedness, generosity, and intellectual autonomy provide the capacities necessary for responsible dialogue, mutual respect, fair judgment, and reciprocal learning, thereby transforming moral disagreements into opportunities for constructive interaction and human flourishing. Accordingly, virtue ethics offers an effective framework for managing moral diversity and fostering peaceful coexistence within multicultural societies.