Full Idea
It may be the case that there is no such thing as character, no ordinary character traits of the sort people think there are, none of the usual moral virtues and vices.
Gist of Idea
Maybe there is no such thing as character, and the virtues and vices said to accompany it
Source
Gilbert Harman (Moral Philosophy meets social psychology [1999], 10.1)
Book Reference
Harman,Gilbert: 'Explaining Value and Other Essays' [OUP 2000], p.165
A Reaction
This would be a devastating fact for virtue theory, if it were true. I don't believe it. He thinks patterns of behaviour result from circumstances, but we give accurate and detailed pictures of people's characters (esp. in novels).