Academic Paper 4: Confucius (Written by Krizzia Soto)

(Unpublished) This paper presents an overview on the matter of virtue from different philosophical angles. It concentrates on three different schools of thought coming from the West and the East and their respective concepts of virtue. These schools of thought and the therewith-associated personalities and works discussed in this paper are Aristotelian virtue ethics, Confucianism and Daoism. Particularly, this paper focuses on the Nicomachean Ethics (NE) by Aristotle, the Analects belonging to Confucianism, and the Dao De Jing coming from Daoism. In the course of elaborating those different approaches, the paper starts with introducing the different personalities and their respective works. In the second section, the paper continues with describing the three different schools of thought and the historical context. The third section explains the concept of virtue of each school, before going into detail about the particular virtues in section four. The paper closes with a summary and conclusion. In the conclusion the paper establishes differences as well as similarities, at least between Aristotelian and Confucian virtue ethics. However, the author general takes a critical stance towards comparisons merely for the sake of finding similarities, as particularly in the case of Aristotelian and Confucian virtue ethics there is a significant difference when it comes to the cultural and historical background of those virtues, which should not be ignored. Besides, even within Chinese philosophy there are already significant differences when it comes to concepts and practice, which becomes apparent when comparing the Confucian approach to virtue ethics with the Daoist conception of virtues.

Journal of Chinese Philosophy, 2005

In this paper, six ethical components in Confucianism are examined: xi, zhi, li, yi, wen and ren. Definitions are given to clarify the meanings of these Chinese word-symbols. Attainment of such qualities are essential for developing ethics and morals. Learning Confucian values is a conduit for those striving for perfection. Through patience and practice, one can achieve the highest levels of character. Primary goals in Confucianism include the assimilation of virtue and increasing one’s capacity to learn. The debate over whether goodness is an innate quality is reviewed. Questions relating to mysticism are addressed. The individual’s spiritual goals are juxtaposed to Confucian ideals. Enlightenment in Confucianism is compared to higher states of consciousness in other Eastern traditions. The benefits and limitations of Confucianism as a world religion and philosophy are considered.

2012

Just as Neo-Aristotelian virtue jurisprudence is developed from Aristotelian virtue ethics, 4 Confucian virtue jurisprudence draws on Confucian thought. A. The Basic Structure of Confucian Moral Theory In Confucius' time, China's feudal system was in its final stage of collapse, causing social chaos and disorder. The old social system was fading and the new one had not yet been established, so it 'was up to the thinkers of the first millennium BC to come up with answers, solve the puzzle and restore peace.' 5 Confucianism is one of the schools of thought that undertook this task. There are three main figures in early Confucianism. The first, Confucius, lived between 551 and 479 BC. Confucius' words and deeds are recorded in the Analects, a book edited by later disciples. The second figure is the 'second sage', Mencius (372-289 BC), who is famous for his positive (or optimistic) view of human nature. His moral theory has an inward-out character; he believed that self-cultivation is sufficient to lead a moral life and thus his theory focuses on the virtues. Unlike Mencius, the third thinker, Xunzi (479-221 BC), has views that could be called outward-in; he claimed that biological needs and desires are central to human nature. Xunzi believed that external habituation and deliberative correction are the only ways to rectify man's selfish nature. There are differences among the three main thinkers in early Confucianism, but we will pass them over and attempt to interpret their texts so as to reconstruct a consistent and plausible theory. Confucian theory provides an overall account of both conduct rules and character traits. The conduct rules are Li, normally translated as rules of propriety or ritual, which refers to ceremonial rituals, proper manners in social interactions, conventional customs and even civil law (in the modern sense). The most important character traits are Ren and Yi, fundamental virtues in Confucian ethical theory. Ren (translated as humanity in the broad sense) is the cardinal virtue that unifies the particular moral excellences; Ren also has a narrow sense (translated as benevolence) that identifies a particular virtue related to the affective capacity con-3 The move beyond the necessary or essential features of law is in sympathy with a view expressed by Frederick Schauer (2010). 4 Solum (2006: 75-76). 5 Chang (1990: 20). 6 See Chow (1994). 7 See Slote (1992: 89). 8 Wai-Ying Wong has an excellent discussion of the distinctive features of virtue ethics and its relationship to Confucian moral theory. See Wong (2001: 286-89). A lot of important works in Chinese philosophy have been devoted to an aretaic reading of Confucian ethics.

Roczniki Teologiczne, 2017

BASIC ETHICAL TERMS OF CONFUCIANISM A b s t r a c t. Confucianism has been a leading Chinese philosophical and ethical tradition for a long time. Not just Confucius himself but also Mencius and Xunzi contributed to its development over the centuries. In this paper the principal ethical notions of Confucianismjunzi, dao, ren and li-are characterized in their rich essence and unique context. Though ostensibly having much in common, those concepts can be paralleled to the Western ones only with difficulty and to a limited extent.

Is virtue good not only for others, but also for the virtuous person herself? Call the "yes" answer to this question "the eudaimonistic thesis." In this paper, I argue that Confucius has something to contribute to the issue. I argue, first of all, that the most prominent explanation for why Confucius accepted the eudaimonistic thesis should be rejected; this explanation is that he accepts the thesis because he accepts "naturalistic perfectionism" or that for something to be good for us is for it to realize our nature and that being a virtuous person realizes human nature. In its place, I propose two alternative explanations: the "hedonistic explanation," which justifies the eudaimonistic thesis in terms of pleasure, and the "desirability explanation," which provides a justification rooted in the claims that virtuous people function as normative measures and that they desire that they themselves be virtuous. Finally, I argue that the Confucian versions of these two justifications possess some important advantages over their Ancient Western counterparts.

2018

Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits. Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character. Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny.' It is by virtue of good character that one can be fully functioning, effective and eligible for leadership and success in life. The strength of mind and development of character gives meaning to our life, endorse individuality and enhance efficiency. Virtue ethics in this sense is well echoed in the value ideologies of Acharya Chanakya aka Kautilya and Confucius aka Master Kung who are epitomized as great visionaries, strategists, educators and politically motivated figures. Their action-oriented philosophy seems to be deeply rooted in their acumen and vision of making a 'righteous' individual who can participate in the society to bring about the most advantageous reforms. The wise educators, one known as the 'Uncrowned Prince of China' and the other 'Uncrowned King-maker ', based their realism on cultivation of values by espousing ideal way of life for the pursuit of materialistic, psychic, moral and spiritual development. The paper attempts to contemplate upon the magnum opus work of these timeless legends viz. Chanakya Neeti, Arthashastra and Analects (Lunyu) that emphasize on the significance of virtues and values that help celebrate life in the optimal manner. The paper is divided into three sections. The first part gives a brief background of Confucius and Chanakya, with reference the then prevalent socio-political conditions that initiated the two mentors towards their respective reformative mission. The second section draws parallel from their works, dealing with the insights on imbibing virtues, character-enhancement and value-education. The concluding part attempts to bring about a confluence of the doctrines to highlight its sagacity and relevance in today's time, as a key for successful quality life. Given that we are still not bereft of fraudulence, social ills, crimes, poor governance etc, the biggest agenda of 21st century is to save humanity, rationality and help maintain a sustainable society. The teachings of the masters revolutionized the society then, by stressing the fact that 'man is the maker of his own destiny' and whether a king or a commoner, one is responsible to facilitate one's progress on the strength of his/her disposition. This indeed is the hallmark of practical wisdom which we are in need of today.

2022

BSTMOUMN 2-A Activity: 1. Explain the essence of Confucian golden mean. The essence of Confucianism "Golden Mean" emphasizes the importance of staying in the middle and maintaining a constant state and balance, as well as reaching the mean even when circumstances change. For example, if over consumption is on one side of the food intake spectrum and food deprivation is on the other, the golden mean is a balanced diet. Whether it's consumption or abstinence, I've learned that everything done in excess creates an imbalance. The golden mean in the duality of consumption and abstinence is moderation. When we act in a moderately manner, the outcome is not always zero or the absence of something, but rather the average of all the values present or required to achieve the intended whole. Its proponents are not intended to do by what another person or entity wants solely to appease them, but rather to seek a middle ground rather than acting on extremes. It focuses on the points where two extremes find common ground, because from what Aristotle says, the middle ground is generally closer to one extreme than the other. Being in the center, which can also signify passivity, would have been closer to recklessness than being in the sweet spot, or "mean." The golden mean is composed mostly of moderation and normality, as well as universal moral rule and equilibrium. Confucianism also defined as a main attribute or a philosophy of the mean. Wisdom, courage, and humanity must all be practiced as well as with all other virtues in order to have a wise balancing of all the parts of our personal and social virtues in which it will result in a Golden Mean. Polytechnic University of the Philippines Open University System Bachelor of Science in Tourism and Management 2. How did Confucius characterize virtue? Confucius characterize virtue as a 'harmony chain' because for Confucius, harmony, means having everything in its place and function properly, with virtues. He believed that if every person can put the virtues of courtesy, generosity, good faith, diligence and kindness into practice then everyone will be good-natured. The "ren" is one of the foundational virtue of Confucianism. It signifies goodness and virtue. "Ren could be illustrate on how a person lives life among his/her peers,specifically to be compassionate, understanding, and sympathetic towards the feelings and sufferings of others. Confucius explains that "ren" is the highest perfection of goodness and although people may strive to achieve it, few succeed. There is a famous saying that implies "No man is an island." This saying also mean that man is unable to exist in the world alone and must live among his peers. Confucius generalize this basic idea and thrive it into a way of life that specifies that man should live in the world aiding, respecting, and ultimately understanding others. If an individual put the "ren" into a practice everyday, then this will spread to one's family, state, country, and lastly all over the world. Another main component is the "tao," when translated into Chinese it means road or path. However for Confucius this term means "the way" or a particular state "has the way," moral principles prevail. So if a person has a "tao," he or she will act in good order, by-rights and has outstanding moral character. Confucius also emphasizes the virtue of "Filial Piety (Xiao)" which consists of being respectful to one's parents and always obeying them. It is important factor for Confucius since family is very important unit in Chinese society. Lastly the final component of Confucius Philosophy is the "Ritual (li)" which means the propriety or the rules of good behavior. It is simply the interactions of polite society and the proper way to conduct oneself like people Polytechnic University of the Philippines Open University System Bachelor of Science in Tourism and Management needs to bring their inner peace of mind so that they have a proper outlet for each emotional that arises, and that emotions are not express in a rampant manner. They need also to have an external restraint upon one's conduct, so that one does not exceed what is deemed to be right and proper. Confucius believed that cultivating individual human greatness was the key to transforming society into its harmonious ideal. The three qualities of Xiao, Ren, and Li were at the center of this procedure.

The Cambridge Companion to Virtue Ethics, 2013