Essay on Confucianism in Understanding Virtue Ethics: Beyond Historical Labels

Introduction

The focus of the article is on the role of Confucianism in the debate of human flourishing. The author incorporated the concept of Aristotelianism to present the interaction between the four virtues of ethics. The author ascertains that Confucianism has a more contemporary role in understanding virtue ethics and should not be limited to celebrated historical interests label as seen among other scholarly works. In particular, the author argues that Confucianism is central to the understanding of human flourishment. It also provided a framework that outlines how ethical cultivation occurs. Through Confucianism, it is apparent how virtues are essential and rewarding as opposed to laws and set principles. For example, by relating how things such as wealth and eminence are highly esteemed but could be meaningless if acquired in improper ways. According to the author, Confucianism should not be limited to history-based interests and purpose since it reveals the true nature of humans. Although drawing a comparison of virtues and ethics from different traditions and settings is essential, the author believes that by studying Confucianism, it will enhance the knowledge of human nature and the concept of flourishing. The article concludes by reaffirming a significant number of Aristotelians have failed to succinctly comprehend the essential factors that affirm human nature, flourishing, virtue, and ethical cultivation.

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Arthur Schopenhauer

The objective of this article is a critical review of Schopenhauer's postulate on the vanity and suffering nature of life. In the article, the author has focused on the loopholes that exist when one restricts the interpretation of life in terms of suffering and pain as opposed to pleasure and happiness. From the article, it is insufficient to claim that life is only composed of pain and boredom since there is a need to arrive at a universal conclusion of good and bad from this perspective. According to the article, it is indeed true that trouble, worry, work, and toil dominate life encounters. However, every thought or action among humans is powerfully intensified because of the constant dwelling on the future and the absence. Care, fear, and hope are therefore inspired or impeded by the desire to achieve happiness and mitigate misery, which only ends up in a vicious cycle of suffering and pain. From the paper, it is evident that the author beliefs that the reason for continuous and unending pain and suffering is the need-confined compound nature of man. The impossibility of satisfying the unending needs leads to a painless condition that substitutes boredom. The article sums up that although it is possible for wants and suffering to produce relaxation, it is at this moment that boredom creeps into the scene creating a desire 'to kill time' thus escaping it in its entirety. Therefore, amid these alterations and repetition of the suffering cycle, lays the balance between good and bad.

Jean-Paul Sartre

This article argues whether freedom has a limit and highlights how this concept impacts the definition of life. The author of this article has focused on the lack of authenticity of the essential notion of the nature of man by outlining how freedom interacts with existentialism. According to the article, if existence precedes essence, then humans will be unable to explain any action by referring to a specific standard of human nature, which brings the issue of absolute freedom. In the era of increased freedom, the article ascertains that instincts remain as the absolute measure for values. Moreover, it is the pressure of circumstances or encounters that informs morality choices, which makes it inappropriate to reproach an individual from the 'irresponsible' nature of their choices. Additionally, it is acceptable to judge the perception of an individual about other people or person. In this case, the judgment is considered logical since one is not aware of the circumstances that lead to the choice pressure or the nature of freedom, and the associated limits it at all they existed. The author concludes that an individual remains the principle of play himself where the person endeavors to achieve his realization by adhering to the rules which he established to attain himself.

Friedrich Nietzsche

The author critics the notion of having an external reference point to consult when seeking how to live. The author argues that if at all people are seeking to understand the reason for existence then it is the desire to pursue and attain that which they picture as an ideal without relying on transcendent god-terms. The article highlights that a person's virtue is the health of their soul and should define their focus. In this case, each person has a unique virtue for their soul, which in turn forms the baseline on what to pursue to achieve self-actualization. The article also ascertains that man is should undertake enough preparation and measures to become that which their judgment has defined as true and noble to pursue. Therefore, the author recommends the need for people to survey every aspect of their nature to identify the presenting weaknesses and strengths and incorporate them into an artistic plan, which becomes the reason and purpose to pursue in life. This plan, according to the author, forms a set of personal rules and guidelines, free from the external reference point, that could lead to ultimate joy and fulfillment. It is this argument that the author has used to justify the evident changes and dynamic shifts witnessed in Europe.

Kierkegaard

The objective of the article is to present the existence of indifference between realities of the external and spiritual world and how they impact the meaning or perception of life. The author points out that there is a big difference between realities and perceptions in the visible external world and the spiritual eternity. The article dwells on the biblical story of Abraham yielding to the command by God of sacrificing his only son Isaac as the fundamental measure of greatest faith. The author affirms that there is little if not nothing to learn from the narration even if it is narrowed down to the context of time. He argues that an ethical concern arises from the story. That is, the moment a person decided to assert himself then that is the moment they sin if it dwells in singularity before what is considered universal. In such a case, reconciliation is needed. At the same time, the author argues that faith, when viewed from the perspective of the spiritual realm and the visual external world, remains an ambiguous paradox as seen in Abraham's case scenario. Alternatively, faith as a biblical concept has never existed.