The introduction to this special issue describes the emergence of the virtue ethics approach within the study of Confucian virtues in recent decades. It will first examine scholarly contributions to the discussion of Confucian virtue ethics and then raises questions concerning whether or not de 德 in early Confucian texts is identical with arête or virtue. It will then investigate the meaning and implication of de in Confucian contexts and make an argument for a new type of Confucian de ethics. It will finally come to the project on de and virtue ethics in early Confucian texts and define its purpose and boundaries.

中文翻译：

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早期儒家文本中的德与德：导言

本期特刊的导言描述了近几十年儒家美德研究中美德伦理学方法的出现。它将首先考察学术对儒家美德伦理学的贡献，然后提出有关早期儒家文本中的德是否与arête 或美德相同的问题。然后将探讨儒家语境中德的含义和含义，并为一种新型的儒家德伦理进行论证。它最终将涉及早期儒家文本中的德与德伦理项目，并确定其目的和界限。