Throughout history, virtue has out-stepped the bounds of ethics and entered other philosophical venues such as epistemology. Just as a person is responsible for exhibiting virtuous behavior, so is he or she responsible for virtuously attaining and holding beliefs in the quest for knowledge. In virtue epistemology, epistemic virtues are the fundamental mediums through which one's beliefs are justified. They are similar to moral virtues in definition and consequences, but differ in function in that epistemic virtues direct beliefs while moral virtues direct behavior. Some virtues to be described are openness, epistemic conscientiousness, epistemic courage, introspection and the skilled use of reason.