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Film '3:10 to Yuma' on the Nature of Virtue

In the Western film 3:10 to Yuma, the notorious outlaw Ben Wade (played by Russell Crowe) tells the good guy Dan Evans (played by Christian Bale) why he (Wade, that is) has never started down the path of goodness. Wade tells Evans, "Yeah, that's why I don't mess around with doing anything good, Dan. You do one good deed for somebody … I imagine it's habit-forming. Something decent. See that grateful look in their eyes, imagine it makes you feel like Christ Hisself."

The fictional Wade isn't exactly a philosopher but he's on to something. Aristotle basically said the same thing: "Virtue is not an act, but a disposition (a habit)." And Wade's statement also finds common ground with the New Testament author of Hebrews who mentions "those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."

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