The Comparative Study Of The Highest Good Between Aristotle And Confucius From Ethical Perspective

Because of the attack of emotivism and individualism,both China and western countries face various moral values and ethical plight of incommensurability of subjects.The highest good,as the final end,involves two questions:what kind of people should we become and which kind of life is the best life.Thus the study of the highest good could help people to respond these ethical plights.Aristotle and Confucius,being representative of western and eastern ethics,have studied the highest good.However,since they have different cultural backgrounds,they define the highest good from different ways.Therefore,the comparative study of the highest good between Aristotle and Confucius from ethical perspective,to some extent,can not only respond the questions of contemporary ethics,but also help us understand the same and difference of virtue ethics between the eastern and the western.The core texts are Nichomachean Ethics and The Analects.Basing on the analysis of these texts,we can study the highest good of both Aristotle and Confucius from the definition,the relation between virtues and the highest good,the embodiment of the highest good and the relation between the highest good and external goods.Aristotle,accepting the traditional thought of the highest good,thinks that the highest good is happiness,and the happiest activity is understanding,besides that,the happiest life which people can achieve is the life combining understanding and virtue activities.Confucius,under the tradition of Zhou dynasty,thinks that the highest good is Dao.Virtue is the embodiment of Dao.Thus,for Confucius,the good life is the life following Dao.The sameness of the highest good between Aristotle and Confucius is that they both have the final aim of their life,and they focus on virtues.Their difference of the highest good is that Aristotle thinks the foundation of the highest good is reason,but Confucius concerns that benevolence is basis of the highest good.Being the example of virtue ethics,they have significant impact on people's thought about wealth,family and virtues.