The Confucian and Aristotelian Virtue Ethics Essay Example
The two well-known philosophers who once lived in the both countries of China and Greece are Confucius and Aristotle. Confucius was China's very famous Philosopher. Zhou Dynasty makes the era that he lived in the Ancient China. The time and period are estimated to be from 551 to 479 B.C. The injustices and turmoil experienced during that time had significant influence in his modern code of moral that based on the honesty, respect, education strong family bonds, and kindness. Since then, his teachings have become the basis of moral life and religious practices in China. While this philosophical revolution was happening in China, same events had gone down in the history of Greece as a result of the work of Aristotle, the most famous educator and philosopher in Greece. Aristotle was born 384 B.C. and lived up to 322
...B.C. He was Plato's student, but he was against some of his philosophical stands, for this reason, he strived to come up with his work that would be acceptable universally. The philosophy of Aristotle provided the Greece with moral code and system of reason that still celebrated in the modern life worldwide. His work had much influence on the Western thought in the social science and humanities. He said that it was upon an individual to reason with a lot of caution while structuring his or her judgments. Both Confucius and Aristotle can be said to ancient thinkers who struggled to bring into the existence the concept of good ethical character or virtue and conduct (Aristotle, 350 BC). However, these two great philosophers had similarities and differences on their stand on the issue of virtue.
Confucius believed
rulers of the then government of China did not please the ordinary people because they lacked virtue. Lack of virtue in the government official and society marks the beginning of many problems in the society. He noted to the society that actions of the successful historical figures act as evidence of the outcome of virtuous and good behavior. Confucius argued, individuals will only willingly follow your orders, help you find information and get attracted to you if and only if you are virtuous. On the contrary, Aristotle does not base his argument on the effects of the virtue of rulers on the society to explain his take on virtue. He uses his philosophical style to argue that happy feeling is the best and the end at which all our events and actions ultimately aim. He goes ahead to support his stand through giving thought about moral virtue. He says virtuous person displays all the virtues. The virtues do exist as varied aspects of the virtuous life.
Whereas Confucius believed that a person who is virtuous is a "gentleman." For one to be referred as a gentleman he or she must be well educated in the rituals; Aristotle believed in that we simply choose to be virtuous under the very direct control and motivation of the will within. He argues that habits are the only way through which we acquire the virtues we possess. The two philosophers differ on the idea of how individuals acquire virtues from the society. Aristotle's stand is that virtues come from within. However, Confucius notes that virtues are acquired through the rituals in the society. Furthermore he the Confucian virtue emphasizes the
role of moral development in making good leadership qualities. The good leadership qualities become essential in governance and leadership in the society.
The morally upright man in the Confucian tradition significantly differs from the one of Aristotelian tradition (Clapp, 2016). The difference lies in the way a person is viewed and understood. Confucian tradition progressively defines the human being. In contrast, a person was essentially defined according to Aristotle.
The two philosophers describe virtues in a similar manner. Aristotle defines virtues as character states. He says that states of character are things that carry the origin of our behaviors and we stand by them well or badly basing on the perception of passion. Confucius uses the same idea to define virtues
The differences and similarities brought out clearly in the discussion above sends out the message that there are some similarities and differences in the ancient Greek and Chinese cultures. Both Ancient Greek and Ancient Chinese are considerably magnificent in culture and tradition. The civilizations of both countries base on religious and philosophical view of life. Finally, in both cultures, an intellectual was not only limited to the study alone but also on various daily experiences of an individual (Restall, 2016).
While Ancient Greece valued the participation of individuals, China was built through centralized bureaucratic system which was the philosophy of Confucius. Moreover, Chinese culture was consolidated through the philosophical idea to do away with the different religious views back then. In contrast, the Ancient Greek culture composed of a single religion. The one region present then influenced the philosophical thoughts of the great thinkers in Greece.
The world is changing every day, and there is a need for people
to adjust the way they interact with others in different environments. People can relate well with others in the society, particularly in the adverse workplace. We can draw some ideas from the comparison between the Confucian and Aristotelian philosophies. This section offers the facts about the way to behave ethically while at workplace using the philosophies of virtues discussed above. The doctrine of Aristotle does not claim that we get angry instead we should choose to act according to dispositions of virtues. This can be applied in the workplace where there are a lot of workers who are inconsiderate. The virtues must be chosen from the vice to make your environment harmonious. Furthermore, the Confucius insists that we should not get concerned about people who appreciate us, but we should work hard and accentuate the good. We can apply this in a workplace environment where the manager does not appreciate the efforts you put into your job.
Conclusion
The Confucian Tradition is one of the most powerful moral codes and traditions in the history of the world. We cannot forget to mention the Aristotelian tradition that is famous worldwide alike. While Confucius got inspiration from many historical figures, he inspired many philosophers alike. Mencius is the most prominent he inspired. Both traditions have transformed the way people look at life. The result has been seen in the way people relate peacefully both in China and Greece.
References
- Aristotle. (350 BC). Nicomachean Ethics. Greece: Greece Free Press.
- Clapp, L. (2016). Liberating content. Northern Illinois: Oxford University Press.
- Restall, G. (2016). Advances in Proof-Theoretic Semantics. Melbourne: Springer.
