Ethics

Are virtues something innate within all people at birth, or are they things that one learns over time, and could the same thing be said about one's morality and motivations? Thanks, Gene Mauldin

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If one means by virtues, character traits such as prudence, courage, kindness, and honesty, then, as Aristotle says, they are developed by education and training, although it must also be true that most people are born with the capability of developing the virtues. Hobbes points out that children learn more by example than by teaching, so that if we want to bring up our children to have the virtues we should exemplify them in our own conduct. However, some people mean by virtues, personality traits such as compassion and fearlessness. Personality traits probably are innate although they develop as the child grows and can be altered to some small degree.

To talks about one's morality suggests that morality is a private matter rather than a public system that everyone one is supposed to follow. Although there can be some slight differences among people about what counts as moral, there is overwhelming agreement on most matters, e.g., that it is wrong to hurt someone simply because you don't like them. We don't talk about these matters much because everyone agrees to them, and because we are interested in the few important matters that are controversial, that is what we talk about, and so people take differences in moral views as much more common than they are.

As for motivations, insofar as they are based on personality traits, they are largely innate, but insofar as they are based on character traits and beliefs about morality, they are mostly learned.

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