Antonio S. Cua

Moral Vision and Tradition: Essays in Chinese Ethics

This volume offers a comprehensive philosophical study of Confucian ethics - its basic insights and its relevance to contemporary Western moral philosophy. Writer and philosopher A. S. Cua presents fourteen essays which deal with various problems arising in the philosophical explication of the nature of Chinese ethical thought. Offering a unique analytical approach, Cua focuses on the conceptual and dialectical aspects of Confucian ethics. Among the topics discussed are: the nature and significance of the Chinese Confucian moral vision of tao; the complementary insights of Classical Taoism, namely, of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu; and the logical and rhetorical aspects of Confucian ethics. Perhaps more relevant to contemporary East-West ethical discourse, several essays introduce a systematic Confucian moral philosophy. Cua concludes with a discussion of the possibility of reasoned discourse, aiming at a resolution of intercultural ethical conflict.

The Ethical Significance of Shame: Insights of Aristotle and Xunzi

A constructive interpretation of the Confucian conception of shame is offered here. Xunzis discussion is considered the locus classicus of the Confucian conception of shame as contrasted with honor. In order to show his conception as an articulation and development of the more inchoate attitudes of Confucius and Mencius, an excursion is made into the Lunyu and the Mengzi. Aristotles conception of shame is used as a sort of catalyst, an opening for appreciating Xunzis complementary insights.

The unity of knowledge and action : a study in Wang Yang-ming's moral psychology

There is much of value to be found in A. S. Cuas latest book, THE UNITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND ACTION: A STUDY IN WANG YANG-MINGS MORAL PSYCHOLOGY. One of its most admirable qualities is the sense it conveys of the author as one who, like the Confucius of ANALECTS 9:4, carefully avoids preconceptions, arbitrariness, dogmatism, and egotism and thus puts himself in a potentially very productive relationship with his readers. Professor Cuas evident sense of involvement in his subject determines the presentation of this book as a personal reflection, yet the commitment is balanced with a remarkable intellectual openness that informs the argument throughout. The author repeatedly communicates his awareness that this book, like other good books, should contribute to an ongoing dialogue on an important subject and his recognition that the point of such an inquiry is not to provide definitive solutions to problems which, after all, cannot really be resolved, but rather to help to cultivate an appreciation for their significance, complexity and perenniality. Thus the book is not only stimulating but engaging in that it provides profound reassurance about the constructive possibilities of comparative ethics in ongoing work in the humanities.

Early Confucian Virtue Ethics: The Virtues of Junzi

Confucius’ Analects (Lunyu 論語) provides an ample vocabulary for virtues or excellences of ethical character. Throughout the text, we find frequent occurrence of certain terms such as ren 仁 (benevolence, humaneness), li 禮 (rules of proper conduct, ritual, rites), and yi 義 (rightness, righteousness. fittingness), indicating Confucius’ ongoing concern with the cultivation of fundamental virtues. His remark that there is one thread (yiguan 一貫) that runs through his teachings may be cited as a partial support for ascribing a holistic perspective to his thought. However, we do not find a systematic scheme for conduct in the Analects. Also, throughout the history of Chinese thought and contemporary Chinese and Western writings on Confucianism, we find a great variance of interpretation of fundamental concepts such as ren (Chan 1955, 1975).

Reason and Virtue : a study in the ethics of Richard Price

This volume offers a comprehensive philosophical study of Confucian ethics - its basic insights and its relevance to contemporary Western moral philosophy. Writer and philosopher A. S. Cua presents fourteen essays which deal with various problems arising in the philosophical explication of the nature of Chinese ethical thought. Offering a unique analytical approach, Cua focuses on the conceptual and dialectical aspects of Confucian ethics. Among the topics discussed are: the nature and significance of the Chinese Confucian moral vision of tao; the complementary insights of Classical Taoism, namely, of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu; and the logical and rhetorical aspects of Confucian ethics. Perhaps more relevant to contemporary East-West ethical discourse, several essays introduce a systematic Confucian moral philosophy. Cua concludes with a discussion of the possibility of reasoned discourse, aiming at a resolution of intercultural ethical conflict.