Confuciuss Virtues and their tendencies to the modern American society Essay

Confuciuss Virtues and their tendencies to the modern American society - Essay Example When talking about Confucian ethics, it is central to analyze the five fundamental virtues which Confucius identified based on the fundamental relationships that people establish among each other, such as love, friendship, dedication, loyalty, respect and others. One of these fundamental virtues is Ren, the virtue of humaneness and goodness; it is based on compassion and understanding others and it represents the most important Confucian principle. â€Å"People cultivated by it are humane individuals who exhibit benevolence and care toward others. They are motivated by a deep empathy for others - what might be called human-heartedness† (Carroll). This particular virtue reflects the Confucian view upon the human nature, that is, the fact that all people are essentially born to be good and that they can automatically demonstrate care, respect and kindness one to another. However, when the human nature is not cultivated and educated in the right way and when it is exposed to outs ide detrimental influences, people can lose this basic quality and become mean, aggressive, irritated, hateful and undisciplined. Therefore, the virtue of Ren advises people to appeal to their good, kind, emphatic and well balanced self and by cultivating their mind and spirit in order to avoid a destructive and bad version of themselves.