Although every theory of judging can incorporate some account of judicial virtue, a virtue-centered theory of judging makes the distinctive claim that the judicial virtues are central, i.e. that they have basic explanatory and normative significance.
The phrase "virtue jurisprudence" is usually applied in the context of contemporary Western philosophical thinking about law.
It can be argued that even virtuous citizens might disagree about the application of the law, especially where their own interests or ideological commitments are at stake.
At the same time, traditional Chinese political thought regards those with absolute virtue to be historically extremely rare, and that most people, including the Emperor and his officials, are prone to both corruption and error.
Confucianism places very little faith on the ability of law or external pressure to make men moral but rather believes that virtue must come from introspection and education.