Colección: La Educación
Número: (114) I
Año: 1993
SUMMARY
Recent studies of emotions have attempted to show that emotions are essential components of moral character. This paper critically examines three models: the first holds that emotions are acts of will; the second, that emotions can be part of moral character if they are intellectually accepted by the individual; and the third holds that even if human beings experience their emotions passively, it does not mean that their emotions are not morally significant, because passivity is an essential element of moral character. It is emphasized that propositions that seek to demean the significance of emotions in moral character disregard the role they play in character formation. The paper maintains that moral character is essentially active, but that such activity should not be viewed solely in terms of reasoning and will, but also in terms of emotion.