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Character Role Analysis

The Moral/Immoral Citizen

Hume demonstrates his argument by contrasting moral and immoral behavior in various situations. This boils down to a more general idea about what makes someone the ideal moral citizen (and vice versa). Sure, some virtues depend on the society and time period that a person's living in, but there are other virtues and vices that are more universal. Like anything else, this becomes most clear if we compare folks who are poles apart. Because of this, Hume outlines the perfect moral citizen (someone who's fair, compassionate, hard-working, and practical) and sets them apart from the immoral citizen (who's totally selfish, lazy, greedy, and devious). It's like comparing Glinda with the Wicked Witch of the West.