Susan Wolf's Critique of Moral Saints
In a classic paper, Susan Wolf makes a compelling case against the ideal of moral saintliness. If she's right, how does that fit with the moral urgency of fighting for a better society?
A “moral saint” is someone who’s achieved about as much moral perfection as is humanly possible.
It seems reasonable to suppose that:
Most of us aren’t moral saints and never will be.
It’s fine that we aren’t. (Sainthood is too much to expect!)
But it would be better if we were all saints. As Kant says of absolute moral virtue, it’s “unattainable” but “our …