A mensch is a person who acts with “integrity and honor”, someone with character, rectitude, dignity, and a sense of what is right.  Almost every culture and traditions from around the world have codified their own particular ways to achieving the ethical character of a mensch.

In Philosophy

Both Ancient and modern philosophy speak much about orienting one’s life towards the pursuit of moral virtue as a mensch.  Aristotle clearly defines a mensch as an “ethical character (ethikai aretai)” - in essence moral virtue or moral excellence.  Such a “great-souled” person, a true philosopher and an ideal citizen, is one who acts with kindness, is readily available for community service, cares more for reality than appearance, and always speaks the truth.

Confucius also made a point to categorize his version of a mensch as the achievable junzi - the person who embodies humanity.  For Confucius, if one “implements moral rules correctly, [one] acts in harmony with heaven’s will”.  Thus, the junzi should act against evil by seeking justice, "keep his parents affections in his heart, behave kindly and fairly to his family, and [be] polite and pure with his friend”. He is both modest and a man of action.

More contemporary, the feminist approach towards the ethical character as the ethics of care by thinkers such a Carol Gillian, focuses away from generalizable standards and impartiality, and towards the importance of response to the individual.  Common thinkers in this realm argue that the true modern act of Aristotle’s ethical character, means we should be thinking in terms of how we take care of others, our patience, and our ability to nurture ourselves and others.

In Religion

Likewise nearly every religion puts out a similar call to be a mensch and act with “moral excellence”.  In Judaism, the mensch is seen as someone who is both for himself and for others - focusing on the idea that you should do unto others as they have done unto you, you should greet every person with kindness, love your neighbor as yourself, and always strive to be a compassionate human when there are none around you. 

Noted Christian philosopher Søren Kierkegaard takes these ideals in the model of Jesus’s pure love and affection for others, ensuring that we should always act with a kind of brotherly or agapic love.  This love is like God’s love, “spontaneous and unmotivated”, and allows us to recognize the pre-existing value of the person where we direct this love.  In the mode of Jesus we are also encouraged to “turn the other cheek” against aggression, showing love “independent of the loved individual's fundamental characteristics as [a] particular person”. 

For Muslims, the Hadith of Gabriel, a quintessential foundation of Islamic thought, encourages “acting with moral virtue” or ihsan, as one of the three essential pillars of the religion.  In fact, this is often considered the perfection of worship.  This “right action” (as defined by the Encyclopedia of Islam), when done to perfection, teaches us to be mindful of God's watchfulness and do what is good and beautiful.  Such actions include respect for one's elders, being good to one's neighbors, avoiding abuse of one’s servants, offering hospitality to guests, visiting the sick, acting with patience and sincerity, and always greeting others with a pleasant demeanor.

For the Buddhist, it’s clear that the perfect man has developed two qualities equally - compassion on one side and wisdom on the other - in pursuit of the Middle Way (the 8-fold path towards Enlightenment). Compassion represents love, charity, kindness, and tolerance on the emotional side, or qualities of the heart; and wisdom on the intellectual side, where the qualities of logic lie.  Indeed, to move forward towards one's enlightenment one must be “far removed from wrong, evil things (dhamma)”. 

And likewise the Hindu, in their search to acknowledge the inherent connection to the larger Brahma and unity of all things, must say to one they meet “it’s ‘me’” - in essence, connecting to the other person as inherently recognizing that you are both a part of the same larger unity.

While there may be slight differences in each approach and emphasis, there is no denying a common theme in all traditions - we should always strive to act like a mensch, to strive to be an individual of moral virtue and upstanding character.