Virtue Ethics and Consequentialism in Early Chinese PhilosophyIn this book Bryan W. Van Norden examines early Confucianism as a form of virtue ethics and Mohism, an anti-Confucian movement, as a version of consequentialism. The philosophical methodology is analytic, in that the emphasis is on clear exegesis of the texts and a critical examination of the philosophical arguments proposed by each side. Van Norden shows that Confucianism, while similar to Aristotelianism in being a form of virtue ethics, offers different conceptions of 'the good life', the virtues, human nature, and ethical cultivation. Mohism is akin to Western utilitarianism in being a form of consequentialism, but distinctive in its conception of the relevant consequences and in its specific thought-experiments and state-of-nature arguments. Van Norden makes use of the best research on Chinese history, archaeology, and philology. His text is accessible to philosophers with no previous knowledge of Chinese culture and to Sinologists with no background in philosophy. |
Other editions - View all
Virtue Ethics and Consequentialism in Early Chinese Philosophy Bryan William Van Norden No preview available - 2007 |
Virtue Ethics and Consequentialism in Early Chinese Philosophy Bryan van Norden No preview available - 2007 |
Virtue Ethics and Consequentialism in Early Chinese Philosophy Bryan van Norden No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
agree Ames mean Analects applied to sentences argue Aristotelians attributes belief biconditional Cassio Chinese philosophers Chinese thinkers Chinese Thought community services conception of truth concerned with truth Condemnation of Fatalism Consequently construction Daoist Theory deceased distinction doctrine of graded early Chinese Emphasis in original ethical false ghosts and spirits Hall and Ames Hansen and Hall Hansen claims Hansen is right Hansen's interpretation Impartial Caring indicators of truth issues of truth language Laozi linguistic community Loch Ness monster Mengzi mentalese Mo Tzu Mohists criticize monism Mozi 31 objectivism Parfit Parfit’s argument partialists pragmatic Prisoner's Dilemma Reasons and Persons received view regards the Mohist relativism robust correspondence theories Ruism Ruist doctrine Ruist graded love seems semantic ascent sense single-ordered world spirits exist T-aims table is blue test of truth theories of truth Theory of Chinese thin conception things Things with Words three gauges three standards true truth and falsity Western philosophers