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Does virtue require actually performing virtuous acts?

In his essay, "Existentialism and Humanism," Jean-Paul Sartre argues that who you are is defined by what you do. One consequence of this is that you cannot hide behind claims about your moral character e.g. you cannot say "I am a just person" unless you have actually done just things. Neither can you say "I never had the opportunity to be just, but if I had had the opportunity, then I would have been. Therefore I'm a just person." According to Sartre, that does not make sense. If you've never done a just action, then you cannot be a just person—period. In some ways, Sartre's seems to have a point. However, accepting his argument seems to entail that we deny the existence of moral character. Is that right? What are the merits of Sartre's argument, if any?

Adam , 25.09.2014, 01:34
Idea status: under consideration

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