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Moral virtue vs. Intellectual virtue and the Victim turned Victimizer debate

Some parents work very hard to develop the sense of right in their children others don’t work that hard. Some times are more turbulent then other times, some societies more developed then others and some families more righteous then others.

In each case a person grows up with a different training and therefore a different degree to which he feels strongly about certain values.

Virtue developed from habit from upbringing is what I call moral virtue.

Another kind of virtue is intellectual virtue and this is the reason that a person no matter how a dire circumstance in which he is raised, once is able to decide for himself, is held accountable by law. This is because when he reaches a certain age and maturity he knows that a certain habit however ‘familiar’ it maybe, is wrong – he knows that out of an intellectual process – and therefore is in a position where he can choose to change.

Thus the virtue that develops out of the mental process is what I call intellectual virtue.

Therefore there is no justification for a victim turned victimizer. I’ll demonstrate this now through an example: Many people grow up and develop the habit of smoking while in school or later i.e. at a point in their lives when the pressure/motivation to pick up the habit is high. As they grow older they realize that smoking is a serious health hazard. Some start to debate with themselves and try various means to drop the habit. It is possible to drop the habit of smoking that was once developed.

I therefore argue that it is possible to drop any habit that one wants. Similarly if one developed a certain habit because he was victimized he can always choose to not victimize others.

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