The education of character is the process whereby the emotions and appetites of a human being are made to serve the human being s rational interest. The habituation and persuasion are, however, under the rule of reason. For Aristotle, reason plays three major roles in ethics. In the case of compassion, reason determines how much sympathy is conducive to virtue. Third, it enables us to understand and justify our actions.
Reason is of crucial importance in showing that compassion is a virtue.
To show that a character trait is a virtue one must show that it is beneficial, and, for Aristotle, this meant showing that it was beneficial to the person who possessed it. In the case of compassion this seems to be problematic. The Samaritan, finding by the roadside a man robbed and beaten by outlaws, sees to his care, treating his wounds and paying for his lodging at an inn. The obvious beneficiary of the Samaritan s compassion is the wounded man. Aristotle does not answer this question in the case of compassion, for he does not deal with compassion as a virtue.