Aristotle proposed two key theses concerning character formation and responsibility:character is shaped by habituation and an agent is responsible for his own character.These propositions seem contradic-tory:if one must be responsible for his character,it would imply that character is acquired voluntarily;yet character formation appears to be a more passive process of habituation.Thus,a reinterpretation that recon-ciles this tension is worthwhile.Character is initially shaped by early habituation,but it is also continually molded by conscious habits in adulthood.While childhood habituation significantly influences character for-mation and is largely beyond the agent's control,the cultivation of character in adulthood depends on the agent's own efforts.Consequently,responsibility for character rests with the agent to a certain extent.This in-terpretation not only reveals the complexity of Aristotle's view on the development of virtue and the multifac-eted nature of moral responsibility,but it may also offer profound insights for contemporary moral education and issues of ethical accountability.
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