Christian Wolff (1721) The Practical Philosophy of the Chinese

It seems therefore to me that the Chinese are well deserving of praise for having oriented all their studies to one end and for having done nothing which did not tend to this end. It seems to me no less praiseworthy for them to have turned all their views to the practical side, and to have proposed uniquely to themselves what might make this life happy. Thus, during these very flourishing centuries, there was no one in the whole of China who did not apply himself to his studies, however limited his genius and his situation might have been. Finally, I praise the Chinese again not only for having given precepts, but also for having exercised themselves and their disciples in the practice of virtue, and for not having neglected anything in forming their conduct.

The Chinese took therefore as the first principle, that one should carefully cultivate his reason, in order to reach a distinct knowledge of good and of evil and therefore become virtuous by choice and not from fear of a superior or hope for recompense. Now this distinct notion of good an evil can only be acquired through the penetration of the nature and reason of things.