The thought of will takes us to character. According to Novalis, character is a completely fashioned will. A person’s character is formed from his voluntary actions. It is a permanent mental tendency.
“In other words, character is not something separate from will and acting upon it from without, but is the habitual mode in which will regulates that system of impulses and desires which, looked at subjectively, is the field of its exercise.”
For example, if some person is always engaged in bad work or is a regular drunkard it becomes a part of his character.
Thus, to be invariably engaged in service to the country becomes the character of the patriot and to be engaged in the pursuit of knowledge becomes the character of the scholar.
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There is difference between natures of character. Nature is innate and character is acquired. A man’s character is built up by controlling his emotions and instincts on the basis of his reason. Ethics plays a part in this process.
How is character formed? What is this character? In every adult there are some sentiments like those of patriotism, service of mother, or self-respect etc. Character is the organization of sentiments. In different people, different sentiments are primary and secondary.
In this way, the sentiment of patriotism predominates in a patriot while the same position is occupied by the sentiment for money hi a greedy person. The patriot has, sentiments for mother, children, wife, etc., also but they are dominated by the patriotic sentiment and whenever there is a clash between interests of country and self, the interest of the country gets preference.
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In the organization of character the secondary sentiments are dominated by the primary sentiments. If primary sentiments remain the same the character is termed organized.
For example, if the patriot keeps the patriotic sentiment always above everything else his character is organized but if the patriot alternates between patriotism and caste service his charter will not be called organized.
Character and Conduct. Character is expressed in conduct the conduct will concur with the character. Base people are always steeped in bad work and gentle people engaged in service and spiritual improvement. Volitions correspond to character.
But volitions also make character. Thus it is obvious that the volitions of a person are not under the complete control of his character in the past.
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A good man can do bad work and a bad person may also do good the dacoit of yesterday can become a saint today and the saint too can convert himself into a dacoit.
Upon seeing one bad act, a man cannot be said to have a bad character. In this way character and conduct are interdependent A man will be called a bad character if he persists in his bad habits. Thus ethic is called the science of the good or bad of character or the science of conduct or character do not include works done under external pressure. They are based on free will.