John Doe’s actions lack virtue and ethics since he only thinks about his financial gain, not that of the publisher, author, or anybody connected to the book deals. Even per his religion, using an application that allows him to download copyrighted books is immoral. However the ethical component of this idea is that John Doe wants to learn about nursing but cannot afford to buy the books he needs because of his financial situation. He found a way that he can gain knowledge rather than waiting to fail his examinations.
Virtue ethics limitations can be addressed through the theory of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism, as moral philosophy, supports activities that increase joy and discourages those that increase misery (Scarre, 2020). The freedom to download copyrighted works should not be taken away from John Doe if he loves doing so. Failing exams because of not reading as he could not manage to purchase the books would bring more misery to him. According to the principles of utilitarianism, the ideal course of action is the one that maximizes the number of individuals who benefit from it.
References
Scarre, G. (2020). Utilitarianism. Routledge.
Zyl, V. (2019). Virtue ethics: A contemporary introduction. Routledge.