In Confucian thought, individuals practice moral virtue both by restraining themselves and pursuing their own interests. This is a dual push-and-pull process. In today’s China, the latter is taken care of by capitalism and commerce. The former, however, needs to be taken care of by the rule of law. Otherwise, the system of governance is corrupted by unrestrained individual desires and selective enforcement of ‘virtue’ or law.
Patrick Mendis, Peaceful War: How the Chinese Dream and the American Destiny Create a New Pacific World Order
capitalism, china, confucian-thought, governance, law, morality, rule-of-law, us, virtue, virtuous