Abstract
Aristotle claims that character develops over time as one acquires habits from parents and community, first through reward and punishment. One acquires a good character much as one may learn to play a musical instrument: initially, one may be under some pressure to practice, but eventually, one enjoys playing with skill and understanding. Aristotle claims that one is partly responsible for one’s character, but he thereby raises the question whether one freely chooses one’s character. A person of good character does choose freely, however, and is able to frame complex situations accurately. The full development of character requires rational reflection: Aristotle argues that dialectic, to which Rawls’s reflective equilibrium bears some resemblance, generates principles that can guide us, though they do not serve as unexceptionable rules. A business ethics course, and in particular the case study method, may increase students’ understanding of ethical principles and of the ways in which environmental influences may undermine ethical thought and language.
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Hartman, E. (2013). Aristotle on Character Formation. In: Luetge, C. (eds) Handbook of the Philosophical Foundations of Business Ethics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1494-6_46
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