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.