"Man cannot be uplifted; he must be seduced into virtue"

Don Marquis’s assertion that “Man cannot be uplifted; he must be seduced into virtue” offers a paradoxical view of moral development, challenging conventional beliefs about how individuals acquire goodness or moral integrity. Rather than picturing virtue as an abstract ideal to which people naturally aspire when shown its nobility, Marquis suggests human nature resists direct moral exhortation. Attempts to “uplift” others, overt efforts to educate, preach, or shame them into righteousness, often falter because they provoke resistance, boredom, or even resentment. People rarely embrace goodness out of sheer duty or didactic pressure.

Instead, Marquis employs the idea of seduction, a process that is subtle, appealing, and often indirect. To be seduced into virtue is to be drawn toward it by attraction rather than coercion. This speaks to the psychology of motivation: people change more readily when virtue is presented as desirable, fulfilling, or beautiful, something that entices the imagination or emotion. Just as in romantic seduction, where an overtly forceful approach often fails while charm and allure succeed, moral improvement is most effective when individuals are enchanted by the benefits or pleasures of virtuous living.

Marquis’s view respects the complexity of human nature, which often prefers what is pleasant and resists what feels imposed. His statement is tinged with irony and realism, a sense that moral behavior must appear alluring, perhaps even tempting, to override the inertia or skepticism that greets moralizing. Virtuous ideals, when made accessible and emotionally resonant, draw people in of their own volition.

By framing moral progress as seduction rather than forced ascent, Marquis proposes a pedagogy of ethics centered on empathy, joy, and appeal. The highest good must not only be right but also radiate attraction. In this way, true ethical transformation comes not from stern instruction but from kindling a genuine desire for virtue within the human spirit.