Why did Robert Owen argue that people should not be praised or blamed for their character?

Robert Owen, a prominent British social reformer, argued that individuals should not be praised or blamed for their character because he believed that human character is formed by circumstances over which individuals have no control.1

This core tenet of his philosophy was detailed in his work, A New View of Society; or, Essays on the Principle of the Formation of the Human Character. Owen concluded that because people are products of their environment, the key to shaping a positive character is to place individuals under the proper influences from their earliest years. This belief in the nonresponsibility of individuals and the profound impact of early environment became the foundation for his entire system of education and social reform.1