Virtues as Universal Moral Realities: Bridging Aristotelian and Confucian Ethical Frameworks

This article challenges Alasdair MacIntyre's assertion of the incommensurability of Aristotelian and Confucian virtues by proposing that virtues are universal moral realities. Drawing upon Aristotelian-Thomistic philosophy and Confucian ethics, it argues that cultural traditions serve as distinct coordinate systems mapping these universal virtues. The article employs the metaphor of Euclidean and spherical geometries to illustrate how different cultures emphasize various aspects of the same moral landscape. It concludes by advocating for a virtue-based approach to cross-cultural ethical dialogue, facilitating constructive engagement without absolutely necessitating direct cultural translation.