The Practicality of Ancient Virtue Ethics: Greece and China

What challenge to virtue ethics does Yu's chapter respond to?

• Virtue ethics is too focused on abstract rules and ignores moral dilemmas.

• Virtue ethics is impractical because it lacks clear action-guidance compared to deontology or utilitarianism.

• Virtue ethics is incompatible with scientific accounts of human nature.

• Virtue ethics is overly relativistic and denies universal moral truths.

u argues that ancient virtue ethics is "practical" primarily because it:

• Unites knowing and doing through the embodied practice of virtue

• Develops universal moral rules

• Focuses on habit formation

• Rejects theological foundations, giving a secular account of virtue

Yu Jiyuan argues that Socrates’ elenchus is a practical method because it:

• Provides definitive answers to moral questions

• Focuses on abstract metaphysical speculation

• Trains virtue through communal self-examination

• Focuses on training virtue through habituation

Yu contrasts Aristotle’s phronesis with modern ethics by emphasizing its:

• Reliance on divine commandments

• Rejection of social roles as determinants of virtue

• Situational adaptability and habituation

• Use of habituation as a means of learning hard and fast moral rules

Yu argues that Confucius' individualized teaching style emphasizes:

• That rituals must be performed identically by all people

• That core moral principles are culturally variable

• That virtue is about strict adherence to tradition

• That virtue requires tailoring to a student's specific needs and capacities

Yu interprets Mencius’ "sprouts" (duan) as practical because they:

• Are abstract concepts requiring theoretical study

• Ground virtue in observable, innate reactions

• Depend solely on environmental determinism

• Reject all forms of moral cultivation

ccording to Yu, Aristotle’s phronimos (practically wise person) exemplifies practicality by:

• Following rigid moral rules across all situations

• Rejecting all emotional responses

• Adapting virtues to context through experience

• Prioritizing theoretical knowledge over action

Yu argues Confucius’ junzi (exemplary person) is practical because they:

• Prioritize community over individualism

• Memorize ancient texts and draw on their wisdom in practical situations

• Prioritize individualism over community

• Model virtue through flexible, relational action

Yu’s overarching thesis is that ancient virtue ethics is more practical than modern ethics because it:

• Prioritizes rule-following over intuition

• Aims to make us better people by embedding virtue in lived practice

• Emphasizes habituation over theoretical knowledge

• Emphasizes rites and ritual, following Confucius