The question of whether virtue can be taught is prominent in both Chinese and Western classical traditions. To examine its formulation in early Confucianism， we must distinguish two kinds of virtue： that which is rooted in nature， and that which requires cultivation. Cultivated virtue is cultural virtue （wendé 文德）， while natural virtue is original virtue （zhìdé 质德）. An analysis of the conceptual structure of the opening chapters of

the Analects

reveals Confucius’ effort to elevate orig

inal virtue （natural virtue） into cultural virtue （cultivated virtue）. A virtue‑ethical reading of the opening chapter of the

dejing

德经 shows how the Daoist doctrine of mysterious virtue （xuándé 玄德） affirms original virtue and critiques cultural virtue. Against this backdrop， Mencius’ emphasis that cultural virtue is grounded in original virtue effectively reduces cultivated virtue to natural virtue. While this responds to the Daoist challenge， it also weakens the tension between nature and cultivation， and between original and cultural virtue.