Anthropic Instills Virtue Ethics In Claude

Amanda Askell, Anthropic’s in-house philosopher, has updated Claude’s internal "soul doc," an approximately 80-page constitution that guides the chatbot’s personality and ethics. The revision moves away from strict rule-based instructions toward virtue ethics—emphasizing phronesis or practical judgment—which will influence how Claude, used by millions, responds to sensitive queries like mental health, relationship advice, or safety-critical requests.