On the Crisis of Ethic Codes in the Wei-Jin Dynasty from the Perspectives of Normative Ethics and Virtual Ethics

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Title:	On the Crisis of Ethic Codes in the Wei-Jin Dynasty from the Perspectives of Normative Ethics and Virtual Ethics
Authors:	Tseng, CH (Tseng, Chun Hai)
Contributors:	哲學系
Date:	2009-04
Issue Date:	2011-12-07 12:52:50 (UTC+8)
Abstract:	Based on the thesis made by Menzi's statement-"He (Shun) walked along the path of benevolence and righteousness; he did not need to pursue benevolence and righteousness"-this paper sees the first part as the internal moral self-consciousness that's possessed of moral subjectivity. Making judgments about moral events of the present according to transcendental moral reason and then cultivating moralized personality through the choice, discipline, and practice of free will is known as "virtual ethics." This is the type of ethics possessing moral sense and moral self-discipline. The second part of the aforementioned statement refers to an exogenous rule, that is, the behavioral norms institutionalized by social and political authority and accompanied by the institution of reward and punishment. In order to seek reward and avoid punishment, the individuals in the community recognize and practice these norms and consequently are recognized as someone of social good. These behaviors of social good are provided with external legitimacy but not necessarily the internal moral self-consciousness. Such community ethics is considered institutionalized morality or other-discipline morality, which is known in this paper as "normative ethics." Through Run Ji's behaviors and manners transcending the stereotypes of ethical codes, as highlighted in the "Ren Dan" chapter of New Collections of Anecdotes of Famous Personages, we try to inspire consciousness about this issue. The rule by ethic codes in the Wei-Jin Dynasty was first shaped in "the comprehensive discussions in the White Tiger Hall", a set of normative ethics revolving around blood and family relationships, while the specific content is "three major and six minor principles. In this paper, we argue that the community normative ethics will lead to alienation and bring forth all kinds of manner-corrupting and morality-degenerating pseudo-moral phenomena, if the rule by ethic codes falls within a closed-in ideology and deteriorates into a mechanism whereby to fulfill one's will with political power so as to dominate others. And yet, if the individuals in a society are more inclined toward virtual ethics, founded on moral subjectivity, without tackling the public normative ethics or following the public principles accepted by social manners, the objectification and fairness of community ethics would be sabotaged and the maintenance of a harmonious community life difficult, which is also a crisis. Therefore, virtual ethics and normative ethics should dialectically seek a balance, which is beneficial to both as these two types of ethics would be biased if they don't achieve mutual harmony.
Appears in Collections:	[Philosophy Department and Graduate School] journal articles

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