[自然科学]A Comparative Study of Two Doctrines of the Mean between Aristotle and Confucius.pdf

Exam No. 9509603 A Comparative Study of Two Doctrines of the Mean between Aristotle and Confucius Examination Number: 9509603 Name of Degree: MSc in Philosophy The University of Edinburgh Year of Presentation: 2009 Exam No. 9509603 TABLE OF CONTENT 1. Introduction 1 2. The Doctrine of the Mean in Nicomachean Ethics 2 2.1 Moral virtue as State 2 2.2 Moral virtue as Mean 8 2.3 Various interpretations of the doctrine of the Mean 10 3. The Doctrine of Zhong Yong (Confucius’ Mean) in Zhongyong 16 3. 1 “Zhong Yong” 中庸 in Zhongyong 17 3.2 Various identifications of “Zhong Yong” 中庸 25 4. Comparison of doctrines of the Mean between Aristotle and Confucius 33 4.1 Structural similarity 33 4.2 Different methods: Habit and Ritual 36 4.3 Different natures: neutral nature and innate good nature 42 5. Final thought 45 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTI REFERENCES: II   Exam No. 9509603 1. Introduction The doctrine of the Mean owns an important academic position in ethics theories both in the Western and Eastern philosophical fields. To understand the doctrine of the Mean will benefit further study of virtuous ethical theories. Therefore, I choose this topic as an approach to studying Aristotelian and Confucian ethics theories. The methodology I have chosen is a comparative study. The literary sources are mainly from Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and Zhongyong, which recorded Confucius’ theories of the Mean, and Confucius’ Lunyu as well. Firstly, I went through the text in Nicomachean Ethics and found out the logic of context, in order to understand Aristotle’s idea of the Mean. Secondly, I refere