• Focus is on “How should I live? What kind of a person should I be?”
• Rather than on “What should be done in this situation?”
• In other words, the focus in on personal character, rather than action.
• A good person is virtuous
– has the right character traits in the right balance.

• General virtue
– an abiding character trait that makes one a good friend and a good citizen
– A golden mean between extremes.
• All humans should have general virtues, regardless of their particular circumstances.

• An abiding character trait that
– helps you to fulfill your function in society well.
– as long as a reasonably good society would include this role.
• Vice
– a character trait that undermines your ability to function as a good friend, good citizen and to fulfill your function well.

• We are taught.
• We behave according to the dictates of virtue.
• We begin to understand what is virtuous.
• We want to be virtuous, but sometimes fail.
• Our desires and the dictates of virtue coincide.

• We want others to be virtuous because we value good friends, and a good and efficient society. Fairness demands we be virtuous too.
• True human happiness can only be achieved in a virtuous life.

• From Aristotle: courage, generosity, magnificence, high mindedness, gentleness, friendliness, truthfulness, wittiness, wisdom
• From Christian tradition: faith, hope, charity, chastity, piety, humility, obedience

• The morally superior person
– Has moral equals as friends,
– Is more concerned with duty than with desire,
– Always acts in accord with moral principles, but is not insensitive to others,
– Seeks to improve own virtues, but not others though others will be influenced by his/her example,
– Becomes prominent by helping others to be prominent.

• Humanity (jen): love others. You can have jen if you practice 5 things:
– Earnestness, liberality, truthfulness, diligence and generosity
• Propriety (li): follow the established rules of society to preserve harmony
• Filial piety (hsiao): support parents with reverence

• loyalty
• justice
• broadmindedness
• benevolence
• dignity
• wisdom
• courage
• righteousness

• What would a good friend do? What would a good citizen do?
• What special virtues should I have, given my role? What would a person with these virtues do?
• What kind of a person do I want to be? What would this person do in this situation?
• How will my actions influence my character? Do
I want to move in that direction?

• What virtues/vices did we see in this case?
• What role did these virtues/vices play?
• What will be the effect on character of behaving this way?
• What virtues should have been displayed?
• How would things have turned out differently if these virtues were displayed?