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MORAL AGENT
MORAL CHARACTER and VIRTUES
• The term “character” is derived from the Greek word ‘character,’ which was initially used as a mark impressed upon a coin. • It later came to mean a distinct mark by which one thing was distinguished from others, and then chiefly to mean the assemblage of qualities that distinguish one person from another. MORAL CHARACTER and VIRTUES • The use in ethics of the word “character,” however, has a different linguistic history. • The Greek philosopher Aristotle tells us that there are two distinct of human excellences: • Excellences of thought; and • Excellence of character • His phrase for excellences of character is often translated as “moral virtue(s).” MORAL CHARACTER and VIRTUES • “Moral character,” therefore, in philosophical sense, refers to having or lacking moral virtue. • If one lacks virtue, he/she may have any of the moral vices, or he/she may be marked by a condition somewhere in between virtue and vice, such as continence or incontinence. CIRCULAR RELATION OF ACTS and CHARACTER • Not all acts help to build moral character, but those acts which emanate from moral characters certainly matter in moral development. • A person’s actions determine his/her moral character, but moral character itself generates acts that help in developing either virtue or vice. • This goes to show that moral development should also be understood in the sense of human flourishing. • It is attained by the habitual practice of moral and intellectual excellences, or ‘virtues.’ • Acting in line with virtues is acting in accordance with reason. CIRCULAR RELATION OF ACTS and CHARACTER • Virtuous traits of character ought to be stable and enduring and are not mere products of fortune, but of learning, constant practice, and cultivation. (they are the best exercise of reason) • In this sense, the Greek moralists believe, virtuous acts complete or perfect human life. • Aristotle states that, it is not easy to define in rules which acts deserve moral praise and blame, and that these matters require the judgment of the virtuous person, that is, someone with good moral character. benevolence cooperativeness fairness industriousness patience self-reliance civility courage friendliness justice prudence tactfulness compassion courteousness generosity loyalty reasonableness thoughtfulness conscientiousness dependability honesty moderation self-discipline tolerance MORAL CHARACTERS as DISPOSITIONS • The moral character traits that constitute a person’s moral character are characteristically understood as behavioral and affective dispositions. • “Dispositions” are particular kinds of properties or characteristics that objects can possess. • Examples: elasticity of a rubber band, solubility of sugar-cube in water, the fragility of porcelain, & magnetism of a lodestone. • Among human beings, moral character traits—either virtues or vices—are also considered as dispositions. • A good moral character is practically a disposition to do virtuous acts. Oppositely, a bad moral character is, in effect, a disposition to do vicious deeds.