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UNFINISHEDVirtue: Confucius and AristotleAuthor: Jiyuan Yu

Goal of the essay:

Compare Aristotles conceptopn of Virtue (Arete) andConfucius key notion ofren

Structural SimilarityVirtue

Virtual transliteration ofvirtus (literally Manhood)Aristotle ConfuciusArete RenExcellence of manly qualities Noble huntsmen; manly or

manhood

fromAristos (excellent, best); Two components: human andtwo; point toward humanrelationships

the goodness of a kind of thing(excellence)

by learning to be good onebecomes a person of ren

Related to human function Related to human relations

Two remarks characterizing RenTo love man To return to li

Li

rites, propriety,ceremony, decorumand manners

an ideal social system

Confucius concern is howa person can comply with li

The conformity to li without inner feeling can only be a formality,without any human goodness

Intellectual virtue Ethical VirtueKata logonthe souls activity thatexpresses reason

Me aneu logouNot without reason

that which corresponds to thepart of the soul that has reasonin itself (dianoetikae arte, orexcellence of intelligence)

that which corresponds to thepart of the soul that isnonrational but obeys reason isethical virtue (ethike arte,excellence of ethical character)

excellence of exercising reason excellence of obeying reason

Includes theoretical wisdom andpractical wisdom (phronesis) Concerned with character(ethos), which is informed by

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social and cultural customs andhabits (ethos); the disposition tofeel and act in ways admired bythe society

*Eudaimonia

Happiness or well-being the human good turns out to be the souls activity that

expresses virtue

The best life should be that which most fully exercises onesrational activity.

For Aristotle, that is the life of contemplation

The relation between practical wisdom and ethical virtue

full virtue cannot be acquired without practical wisdom

virtue makes the goal correct, and practical wisdom makes

what promotes the goal

Aristotles ergon arguments challenge:

Reason does not seem to be criterion that distinguisheshuman good from human evil. Acting rationally and actingwell-ethically do not seem to be identical.

There is a gap between rational excellence and socialrespect

Li, Ethos and Practical WisdomRen as to love man Ren as a return to liLi

rites, propriety,ceremony, decorumand manners

rules concerning rituals orceremonies involved inreligious affairs

an ideal social system

Confucius concern is howa person can comply with li

Social Custom is the traditionalsocial mores and culturalsettings

The totality of socially acceptablebehavior patterns and lifestyles,including both moral and non-moral norms. It corresponds toAristotles ethos (social custom:traditional social mores andcultural settings)Ren as returning to li means tobe a person acceptable

according to the Zhou li The Zhou dynastys Li:

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Confucius regarded this asthe highest form of li; idealstate

Filial Love and Self-love

Cultivation

Conclusion:

While an Aristotelian revival would do well to borrow theConfucian insight of filial love, a Confucian revival could hardlybe constructive without developing an Aristotelian function of

rationality in weighing and reanimating the tradition