Aristotelian Analects

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the concepts of virtue from the perspective of Aristotelian philosophy and Confucian philosophy, based on these two philosophers' writings. Particularly noted is the effort both spent considering the concept of virtue and the good life and how to achieve this state. The paper explains how for Aristotle it required the understanding of virtue and for Confucius it required the understanding of propriety.

From the Paper:

"Aristotle, as his philosophical progenitors before him, Socrates and Plato, spent considerable energy defining or discussing what it means to be a good or a virtuous man. While it is arguable that a definitive answer is ever identified by him or any other philosophical writer, this particular intellectual pursuit seems to have been an inquiry that spans cultures as well as ages. In his "Ethica Nicomachea," or the "Nichomachean Ethics," Aristotle speaks of three types of lives: 1) the life of enjoyment, 2) the political life and 3) the contemplative life (Mckeon). In this categorization of the styles of lives that people may follow, Aristotle hopes to lead his reader to the conclusion that virtue in association with the first two is a shallow pursuit and lacks sincerity."

More papers on Aristotelian Analects:

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• Analytical Essay # 139197 : "Functions of Chinese Poetry in "The Analects"

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