Faculty & Research
Knowledge creation on China, from proven China experts.
Faculty & Research
Knowledge creation on China, from proven China experts.
Unethicality that makes me worse off: Characterizing xiaoren (小人) in workplaces
Abstract:
Xiaoren, often translated as small, petty, mean, inferior, or bestial persons, is a core part of the Chinese ethical vocabularies for moral condemnation. The term of xiaoren has its cultural root in Confucian virtue ethics and is mostly considered as a perfect antithesis to ethicality in Confucian doctrines. Its high severity is evident as the term of xiaoren is often used interchangeably with other ethical vocabularies associated with disqualifying a human being from personhood (e.g., beasts [禽獸], nonperson [非人]).
This presentation will be organized in two parts. First, I’ll position and explain the role of xiaoren in Confucian virtue ethics. I argue that studying xiaoren could open a window into the Confucian personhood and the minimum ethical standards in Confucian virtue ethics. Second, I’ll present empirical and preliminary evidence about the contemporary understandings of xiaoren in workplaces. Via a qualitative research on workplace xiaoren narratives, I identify the relevance and insufficiency of Confucian unethicality in characterizing workplaces xiaoren.
This presentation will be organized in two parts. First, I’ll position and explain the role of xiaoren in Confucian virtue ethics. I argue that studying xiaoren could open a window into the Confucian personhood and the minimum ethical standards in Confucian virtue ethics. Second, I’ll present empirical and preliminary evidence about the contemporary understandings of xiaoren in workplaces. Via a qualitative research on workplace xiaoren narratives, I identify the relevance and insufficiency of Confucian unethicality in characterizing workplaces xiaoren.
Contact Emails:
cgrace2@ceibs.edu
