Confucius and Aristotle on Virtue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Confucius and Aristotle on Virtue - Essay Example Confucius and Aristotle on Virtue Similarly, the essay suggests ideas of virtue, which can apply to ethics in the contemporary society that has diverse workplaces. According to the concept of ‘virtue ethics’ by Aristotle, it is challenging to attain morality in a universal code. That indicates that the justified thing to do in a specific situation is what a virtuous individual would do. Aristotle defines virtue as the quality of character that is essential and ideal in ensuring a life well lived. In defining this concept, Aristotle focused on characterizing the good life as that lived under the influence of or in accordance with virtue. On the other hand, Confucius focused on going a notch higher to the process of defining the concept with the intention of escaping the potential circularity of virtue ethics. He further provided a starting point towards understanding how to achieve a good life. From that perspective, there is not a single, universal moral code. Nevertheless, there is a ‘root of humanity’ and, thus, the perfect opportunity for the attainment of closest loving relationships. Similar to most Greek philosophers, Aristotle focused on viewing virtue as a form of language. From that perspective, self-examination is essential in the generation of self-knowledge that eventually leads to the realisation of the good life. It indicates that knowledge comes out as a mean, which is relative to individuals. In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle focused on the integration of a patient, careful and descriptive approach to examining moral philosophy.