Abstract

The central aim of my dissertation is to consider the theoretical basis for the moral evaluation of character and the constituents of character. The latter are simply those traits that we commonly attribute to individuals, such as honesty, cruelty, sympathy, and the like. In general, I contend that an individual's character is to be evaluated by reference to the individual's orientation toward the dignity and well-being of human beings. Character traits that interfere with, impede, or destroy dignity and well-being are vices. Those traits that facilitate or promote dignity and well-being are virtues. Thus, a normative theory of character is an attempt to say which traits taken together will enable individuals to live in such a way as to respect the dignity and promote the well-being of themselves and others. ;In Chapter 1, I detail the complex nature of character traits, and argue that character is a dynamic, projective system of traits which determines how an individual will respond to a given situation. ;In Chapter 2, I briefly consider the moral evaluation of actions, suggesting that actions are to be evaluated by reference to the notions dignity and well-being. The latter is a by-product of the utilization of those physical and psychological capacities that rights protect. ;Chapter 3 aims at showing how traits can be evaluated by reference to the notions of dignity and well-being. I stress that no single virtue, or kind of virtue, is sufficient to guarantee that an individual is properly oriented toward the dignity and well-being of himself and others. Traits vary considerably in the nature of their bearing on dignity and well-being. ;I continue to develop these claims in Chapter 4 by considering several character types that are unsatisfactorily oriented toward the dignity and well-being of individuals. Though a character type may exhibit certain virtues, the vices present in it may render the overall orientation it represents ignoble and unappealing. By first considering a range of unsatisfactory orientations, I prepare the way for presentation of what I take to be the most satisfactory one