Free «Virtue Ethics» Essay Paper

Character is a combination of personal characteristics. The basic elements can be divided into three groups: attitude to any activity, to oneself, and to the people around.

A person can be characterized as kind, caring, sensitive, mandatory, hard-working, persistent, diligent, conscientious, independent, or prideful and have other different characteristics. All of these qualities are very important and should be acquired at the same time. Parents can instill a child with self-reliance and self-esteem. However, it may be indifferent to the misfortunes of others. People are often very kind, helpful and sympathetic, but unable to finish what they have started.

Some agree with an expression that environment cannot educate, and that intellect is acquired on a genetic level. There is a statement of equality of hereditary mental abilities of all people, which means that intelligence is not innate (Carr & Steutel, 2012). A person has only physical sensitivity, which further develops into mind as the ability to think. This confirms the effectiveness and appropriateness of educational influence. By perceiving the impact of social environment through physical sensitivity, a person acquires certain traits and characteristics.

There is the principle effect of surrounding, which completely subordinates biological makings and affirms the role of formative environment (Carr & Steutel, 2012). Everyone is born with certain ability to something. At the same time, every person is born tabula rasa. The environment may increase, blunt or destroy the makings (Darwall, 2003). However, it is not able to give an individual what he/she lacks naturally.

Ethical principles should result from an effective inner conviction without external stimulation. Some scientists are trying to account for both determinants: nature and teaching. However, the main idea is in establishing the crucial role of social environment (Carr & Steutel, 2012).

These facts indicate that every person is a product of one’s life circumstances. Every child is a passive mixture, and it is possible to form the person with a good character. A virtue is assigned to a child from the outside and most of all depends on the precursors of transmitting the ideas and habits, and to force control of actions. A person does not create and cannot create his/her character. The character is a result of up-bringing and teaching.

Therefore, it can be concluded that a person is only given a possibility to do good or evil since birth. However, this choice depends on what one will be taught as a child.