Some commentators blame James Bartholomew for coining the term “virtue signalling”. But admonishments against blowing one’s own trumpet date back at least 2,000 years earlier.
In Christianity it’s taught that virtue should not be performative, but active. To be good, a person had to do good. Jesus was very vocal when it came to his criticism of the Pharisee sect and their showy, costly acts of piety, in the absence of what he considered to be genuine virtue.
The sixth-century BCE Chinese philosopher Kong Qiu, better known in the west as Confucius, would have agreed. He called for a society built on five elements; jen (benevolence/humaneness), chun tzu (gentleman or exemplary person), li (correct conduct), te (moral force/virtue, particularly in rulers) and wen (cultivation of arts, culture, harmony).
These components, he argued, would create a society infused with respect, integrity, dignity, diligence and kindness, each virtue building on the other. People in positions of power or seniority, according to Confucius, must demonstrate kindness and benevolence, while those in positions of lesser power are to behave with reverence and loyalty.
Li, or correct conduct, also emphasises Confucius’s doctrine of the middle way. This means that even virtue should be subject to moderation and examination. No person should enact the rules of li blindly. According to Confucius, a virtue must always be subject to thought and reason.
The fourth-century BCE Greek philosopher Aristotle would have agreed with Confucius that a person should avoid the extremes of too much or too little of the virtues. The right amount of courage, say, depends on the situation, and must be subject to reason. Being brave is only a virtue if a person is acting for a social good.
So what would Confucius and Aristotle tell me to do, next time I want to advertise a virtuous act or opinion online?
Growing up Catholic, I must have imbibed St Augustine’s position that “humility is the foundation of all the other virtues” Whenever I make an online donation, a pop-up window asks if I want to announce it on social media. I almost always select “no”.
But in not wanting to risk being seen as a virtue-signaller, I may be undermining the virtue of my act. I might miss an opportunity to encourage others to support a good cause. If I publicly commit to a position, research indicates that I might also be inclined to take further action.
By refusing to share my support for a cause, I may have gone too far in the other extreme. I am not avoiding the vice of self-aggrandisement, so much as performing the virtue of humility for myself.
Confucius reminds me that, to become a chun tzu, or an exemplary person, I have to reach beyond my audience of one. I become a more fully realised human being as my heart/mind, hsin, expands to encompass everyone I am in relation with. Ultimately, the posture of my self dissolves into the relation. Signals of virtue are the steady echo of a heart, beating inside a network of care.
Jackie Bailey is the author of The Eulogy, the winner of the 2023 NSW premier’s literary multicultural award. When not writing, she works as a funeral celebrant and pastoral care practitioner, helping families navigate death and dying
