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Virtue: Aristotle and Confucius

Virtue: Aristotle and Confucius. Virtue. Focus is on “How should I live? What kind of a person should I be?” Rather than on “What should be done in this situation?” In other words, the focus in on personal character, rather than action. A good person is virtuous

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Virtue: Aristotle and Confucius

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  1. Virtue: Aristotle and Confucius

  2. Virtue • Focus is on “How should I live? What kind of a person should I be?” • Rather than on “What should be done in this situation?” • In other words, the focus in on personal character, rather than action. • A good person is virtuous • has the right character traits in the right balance.

  3. What is a Virtue? • General virtue • an abiding character trait that makes one a good friend and a good citizen • A golden mean between extremes. • All humans should have general virtues, regardless of their particular circumstances.

  4. Special Virtues • An abiding character trait that • helps you to fulfill your function in society well. • as long as a reasonably good society would include this role. • Vice • a character trait that undermines your ability to function as a good friend, good citizen and to fulfill your function well.

  5. Becoming Virtuous • We are taught. • We behave according to the dictates of virtue. • We begin to understand what is virtuous. • We want to be virtuous, but sometimes fail. • Our desires and the dictates of virtue coincide.

  6. Why be virtuous? • We want others to be virtuous because we value good friends, and a good and efficient society. Fairness demands we be virtuous too. • True human happiness can only be achieved in a virtuous life.

  7. Sample virtues • From Aristotle: courage, generosity, magnificence, high mindedness, gentleness, friendliness, truthfulness, wittiness, wisdom • From Christian tradition: faith, hope, charity, chastity, piety, humility, obedience

  8. Confucianism • The morally superior person • Has moral equals as friends, • Is more concerned with duty than with desire, • Always acts in accord with moral principles, but is not insensitive to others, • Seeks to improve own virtues, but not others though others will be influenced by his/her example, • Becomes prominent by helping others to be prominent.

  9. Central Confucian virtues • Humanity (jen): love others. You can have jen if you practice 5 things: • Earnestness, liberality, truthfulness, diligence and generosity • Propriety (li): follow the established rules of society to preserve harmony • Filial piety (hsiao): support parents with reverence

  10. Other Confucian virtues • loyalty • justice • broadmindedness • benevolence • dignity • wisdom • courage • righteousness

  11. Decision Procedure for Deciding What to Do • What would a good friend do? What would a good citizen do? • What special virtues should I have, given my role? What would a person with these virtues do? • What kind of a person do I want to be? What would this person do in this situation? • How will my actions influence my character? Do I want to move in that direction?

  12. Decision Procedure For Assessing Character • What virtues/vices did we see in this case? • What role did these virtues/vices play? • What will be the effect on character of behaving this way? • What virtues should have been displayed? • How would things have turned out differently if these virtues were displayed?

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