UNFINISHED Virtue: Confucius and Aristotle Author: Jiyuan Yu Goal of the essay: Compare Aristotles conceptopn of Virtue (Arete)

) and Confucius key notion of ren Structural Similarity Virtue Virtual transliteration of virtus (literally Manhood) Aristotle Confucius Arete Ren Excellence of manly qualities Noble huntsmen; manly or manhood from Aristos (excellent, best); Two components: human and two; point toward human relationships the goodness of a kind of thing by learning to be good one (excellence) becomes a person of ren Related to human function Related to human relations Two remarks characterizing Ren To love man

To return to li Li rites, propriety, ceremony, decorum and manners an ideal social system Confucius concern is how a person can comply with li

The conformity to li without inner feeling can only be a formality, without any human goodness Intellectual virtue Kata logon the souls activity that expresses reason that which corresponds to the part of the soul that has reason in itself (dianoetikae arte, or excellence of intelligence) excellence of exercising reason Includes theoretical wisdom and practical wisdom (phronesis) Ethical Virtue Me aneu logou Not without reason that which corresponds to the part of the soul that is nonrational but obeys reason is ethical virtue (ethike arte, excellence of ethical character) excellence of obeying reason Concerned with character (ethos), which is informed by

social and cultural customs and habits (ethos); the disposition to feel and act in ways admired by the 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 ones rational 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 distinguishes human good from human evil. Acting rationally and acting well-ethically do not seem to be identical. There is a gap between rational excellence and social respect Li, Ethos and Practical Wisdom Ren as to love man Ren as a return to li Li rites, propriety, ceremony, decorum and manners rules concerning rituals or ceremonies involved in religious affairs an ideal social system Confucius concern is how a person can comply with li The totality of socially acceptable behavior patterns and lifestyles, including both moral and nonmoral norms. It corresponds to Aristotles ethos (social custom: traditional social mores and cultural settings) Ren as returning to li means to be a person acceptable according to the Zhou li The Zhou dynastys Li:

Social Custom is the traditional social mores and cultural settings

Confucius regarded this as the highest form of li; ideal state Filial Love and Self-love Cultivation

Conclusion: While an Aristotelian revival would do well to borrow the Confucian insight of filial love, a Confucian revival could hardly be constructive without developing an Aristotelian function of rationality in weighing and reanimating the tradition