偶然因素所能决定的程度恰恰是人的美德能够干预的,因为偶然是原本不会发生的情况,而美德需要有所行动。正直的人一旦行动,就会取代本可能偶然发生的,或改变无德之人的平庸行为所造成的结果。因此,正如托克维尔在《论美国的民主》中所说,美德旨在“消除”偶然。但美德也会事先假定偶然因素的存在,以便 It is precisely the chance factor that can be determined by the degree to which human virtues can intervene, because by chance is something that would not have happened, and virtue needs to be acted upon. As soon as they are upright, the righteous will take the place of the result of the mediocre acts that might happen by chance or change the devoid of virtue. So, as Tocqueville put it in “On American Democracy,” virtue is intended to “eliminate” accidentally. But virtue also presupposes the existence of contingent elements in order to