Blurring the Lines between Imitation and Emulation in Moral Development

This article investigates the roles of imitation and emulation in the development of virtue by questioning the way these learning mechanisms are distinguished in the literature. Conventional views distinguish a deliberate kind of emulation, necessary for the acquisition of practical wisdom and virtue, from the unconscious and automatic imitation of virtuous actions. In this article, this binary is challenged through an analysis of two (autobiographical) novels by the French author Edouard Louis. Eddy, the main character in both novels, adopts behaviours from his friends and teachers on purpose, driven by personal goals rather than the models’ virtuous motives. The novels help us to imagine a new category of moral learning, called ‘deliberate imitation’: it is goal-driven but not fully aligned with the virtuous intentions of the role models. This type of imitation blurs the distinction between imitation and emulation and may serve as a transitional phase. The article ends with a discussion of the implications this type of imitation may have for moral education. It is suggested that teachers may have less control over which of their actions students take to be exemplary and which ones not.