ABSTRACT
For 21st-century ethicists, one—s character is thought to be a matter of one—s internal dispositions and their external manifestation in action. This assumption, which is universally accepted among contemporary authors, would not have been shared by 18th-century writers. Alongside one—s internal dispositions, Butler, Hutcheson, Hume, and their peers also considered one—s social roles to be part of one—s character. This chapter outlines the attractions of including social roles among character—s ingredients, arguing that such a conception is preferable to psychologically focussed views in a number of respects.
