Virtue: Aristotle and Confucius

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Virtue Aristotle and Confucius
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Sample virtues

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

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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.

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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

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Other Confucian virtues

• loyalty
• justice
• broadmindedness
• benevolence
• dignity
• wisdom
• courage
• righteousness

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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?

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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?