Across cultures and centuries, Aristotle and Confucius agree: virtue is good in moderation

‘The fourth century BCE Greek philosopher Aristotle, right, would have agreed with Confucius that a person should avoid the extremes of too much or too little of the virtues.’ Composite: Getty images

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.