A Comparative Study Of Mencius' And Aristotle Thought

Mencius was known as "The second of Sage" in China. Aristotle is aencyclopedic thinker in ancient Greece.They both regarded virtue as a kind of quality. But they has its own characteristics about the origin,connotation, cultivation,meaning of the virtue. This article divided into four chapters to discuss.In chapter1, I discussed the philosophic roots of they thought of virtue. Mencius regarded mankind-hearted by nature as the basis of moral thoughts. He thought human nature is good and all kinds qualities of virtue is developed from the human nature. Based on Skopos Theory, Aristotleconsider person’s natural endowments as a potential, which opposed to a reality, virtue is not innate. It is virtue that improve logos by the practice of people.In chapter2, I discussed the Mencius and Aristotle’s viewpoint about connotation of virtue. Mencius did not explicitly put forward the concept of virtue. He explained the Connotation and characteristics of humanity, justice, propriety and wisdom, which were traditional moral qualities. Aristotle clearly defined virtue as a kind of quality instead of a kind of emotional or ability by the way of ruling out argument.In chapter3,I discussed the cultivation of virtue. Though Mencius realized the effect of acquired education on cultivation virtue and made two specific path of inner cultivation of personal enlightenment and acquired education. He focused more on the cultivation of virtue seeking reflexive methods. Aristotle does not recognize the innate morality but that minds of quality are generated in the acquired habits.In chapter4, I discussed the virtue and life in personality of subject and happiness. Mencius emphasized in the realization of the personality of subject on the implementation of the benevolent policy as a whole to realize the value of life improvement classes, to the harmony of the individual and society. Aristotle in his discussion of self-sufficiency on the basis of well being, from. the perspective of the city-state justice, discusses the ideal living conditions and political forms.