Goodness...

In the Analects, Confucius describes morality, principles and virtues make his goals for the perfect gentleman. Then, virtues come in consideration rather than principles. “The Master said, “Acquiring Virtue by applying the mean-is this not best? And yet among the common people few are able to practice virtue for long.” (6.29), he is saying that virtue is not always there, that is hard, that not everybody has it. Virtues are the moral conduct, therefore, your ideology and basis to be a better person, one better according to your interpretation. This way it is beneficial to coexist not only as an individual inside of a society but as oneself. Then come principles, the basis of a society, then this are already there, and will always be, we as individuals have to fit in the ones we belong. According to these the master says that virtues are the strategy of education instead of principles. For that reason he would be saying that it is better to have and be a better person, over having laws for a better society. But, isn’t the good of an individual still good for a society? Each individual conforms a society, the good of each makes a good of all. Besides, virtues are to coexist, not to only to oneself but to others. Goodness? Why goodness? What is exactly goodness? Confucius describes what happens with and without goodness, but never what goodness itself is. “Merely set your heart sincerely upon Goodness and you will be free of bad intentions.” (4.4), this says it all, goodness is just good, the option to stay away from the bad. Goodness in The Analects is given the same importance as God in the Bible, God and Good, Good is God, God is Good…is there a connection, as if Goodness were a force, would God be a force? Goodness, is the morally positive, in any behavior, why so much important? How can someone state what is morally positive for all (such as principles), when the strategy of education are virtues (what is morally positive for each)?