An Implementable Conversation Between Foucault and Chinese Virtue Ethics in the Context of Youth Social Work

Abstract

Abstract Recently, virtue ethics has been increasingly considered as one of the most appropriate alternative ethical frameworks for youth social work internationally and in China. Extant literature has the tendency to emphasise cultural difference and neglect the universality of (virtue) ethics; instead, this article aims to inspire a balanced theoretical conversation on similarities between western (Foucauldian) and Chinese virtue ethics (mainly classical Confucianism and Daoism) supported by examples from case studies. Three areas are addressed: (i) similarities in the interior (personal) dimension and the exterior (relational) dimension of the self; (ii) the situational and universal features of virtue ethics, and the need for a reflective approach to balance both; and (iii) ethical cultivation of the reflective approach. These key themes add to a body of knowledge for the development of a virtue ethics framework for Chinese youth social work.