Virtue as Good and Bad:

Virtue as Good and Bad: A Modern Take on a Confucian Perspective

The concept of virtue at first seems like it is simple to understand, but if one views it from a Confucian perspective, one comes to realize that the actual concept of virtue is actually quite complex. There are in fact many Confucian ideals that are difficult to understand from a Western perspective, one of which is the idea or concept of "de" or virtue. Confucians believe in the idea that human beings are not static creatures but rather dynamic, capable of transforming life and constantly changing. Based on this notion or premise, there is the recognition among Confucian idealists that one must not simply search for inner spirituality, but rather man should concern himself with establishing the best possible outcome for mankind as a whole. One way to do this is to establish himself as virtuous, and to acquire virtue from others.

Confucian philosophy lends itself to the belief that virtue can be something that is both good and bad; it is something that man can accumulate to better himself but is also something that man can use to obtain power over others. The Confucian philosophy also lends itself to the interpretation that even when virtue is something less than good, it ultimately results in the good of mankind as a whole. How can something that is good be bad, and how can something that benefits one man benefit mankind as a whole? These ideas are explored in more detail below.

While it is not difficult to understand the notion that universal harmony is a desired outcome, a standard Confucian idealism, it is often for Westerners to grasp the idea that man can attain universal harmony via virtuous acts, whether good or bad. Isn't virtue by it's very nature something that is good after all?

To understand the idea of virtue completely one must first examine the notion of self-cultivation, a key point in Confucian philosophy. The idea of self-cultivation is critical to Confucian philosophy. Interestingly, many Western philosophers including Aristotle also concerned themselves with self-cultivation, however not to the extent that Confucians did (Ivanhoe, 1993). Confucian traditions hold self-cultivation as a central theme of existence. There are two views regarding the nature of self-cultivation and virtue which Confucianism is so concerned with.

The first suggest that virtue is the result of a proper cultivation of human nature, whereas the other suggests that virtue results from artificial means (Ivanhoe, 1993). This concept is also difficult for Westerners to understand, as most view virtue as something more black and white. Most Westerners for example believe that virtue is the product of something that is inherent within all men. However this is not necessarily the case from a Confucian standpoint. Virtue may in fact be something that is created and shared, or something that is bestowed or allocated to certain men by the heavens.

The first school of thought and by far most popular suggest that de or "Virtue" is something that human beings must aspire to, and that the more a person works toward being virtuous the more virtuous they become. This concept is not difficult to understand in and of itself. Virtue however is also viewed as a form of power, which is a notion foreign to most westerners. The idea is basically that one needs to acquire 'de' or virtue. However, virtue also bestows a form of power on man because when one man has de and uses it to show favor or kindness to another, they gain a type of hold on the other person (Ivanhoe, 1993). Anything that is used as a form of power however, may also be perceived as something with the potential for creating negativity, or the potential for abuse. Thus virtue by very nature may also be something that can be used in a negative manner, or something considered 'bad' when taken in this context.

Thus "de" can also be seen from the Confucian perspective as a form of power that one may acquire over others when they perform virtuous deeds. In a sense once someone is the recipient of a virtuous act they are in fact somewhat obligated to the person bestowing the good favor on them. Despite this however, virtue or "de" cannot however be used to manipulate other people for private means, but rather must be used for the good of mankind as a whole ultimately (Ivanhoe, 1993). This seems contradictory, but actually lends itself to the notion that all acts can contribute to the universal harmony, a focal point as pointed out previous to Confucian idealisms.

De" has often been described as either good or bad, and anyone can come under the influence of "de" regardless of its nature (Ivanhoe, 1993).

De" therefore is almost an inherent and spontaneous power in and of itself (Ivanhoe, 1993). To illustrate this point, many Confucians believe that kings were possessed of a form of royal virtue, which allowed them to do good for mankind and those under the rule of the king, but more importantly this "de" allowed the king to gain the "endorsement and power of Nature and ancestral spirits" (Ivanhoe, 1993).

There are those that believed that "Shangdi" or heaven bestowed "de" on certain people though others believe that "de is something that must be earned through a lifetime of virtuous living and good acts (Ivanhoe, 1993).

Consider the following example: A young man is walking down the street and they see a homeless person begging for money. At first instinct they think to ignore the fellow that he is better off without their help. However on second thought the young man walks over to the stranger and offers him a $5 bill. The man offering the money has obviously conducted an act that seems virtuous. He has also however, in the Confucian manner of thinking, gained power over the man. The man is in his debt. The power he has gained is one of benevolence however. Virtue has also been bestowed upon the recipient. He can use the money offered him to do something good, or he can use the money to do something that will be detrimental to himself and ultimately to society as a whole. The gentleman who offered the beggar the five dollar bill however also had the power to withhold money from the man. Either way he has some sort of power and control over the situation, though the final outcome of the beggar does not lie exclusively on whether or not the man offers him the money or not.

Again we can fall back to the example of the king as well. By nature many believe kings to be instilled with royal virtue, the power to do what is best for the people as a whole, at the expense of their personal well being and satisfaction at times. However even when the king decides to do something that is not in his own best interests, he still benefits from doing virtuous acts. Mankind as a whole benefits. Likewise it may not be in the best interests of the man to offer the beggar $5, but by doing so he facilitates the virtue of "Jen" which dictates that man should do unto others as he would like done unto him.

The Confucian notion that virtue can be something that is both good and bad conflicts with the Western ideal that virtue is a reflection of something that is good and righteous. In fact the very definition of the word virtue suggests that it is a type of moral excellence or goodness, grounded or the quality of doing anything that is good or right (American Heritage, 2000).

All this said, there are certain virtues that man must develop and live by. Someone who lives a life that is virtuous by nature will do unto others as he would like done unto him, thus one would not use virtue in a manner that is negative or controlling. The best way to describe someone who is truly virtuous is to imagine a person that puts the needs of others above the needs of himself, even while at the same time that person will be attempting to cultivate himself to the best extent possible. The Confucian ideal suggest that self-determination and progress is desirable, but at the same time every act should be undertaken to achieve harmony and this sometimes comes at the expense of an individual's personal desires.