Rights-Oriented Ethics in Confucianism
Confucianism, as the mainstay of Chinese traditional morality often misunderstood as the exclusive attribute of duty-oriented ethics, is consisted of humanity(ren) of Confucius and righteousness(yi) of Mencius in the forms of humanity and human rights respectively.In the mentality of ”Integration between Heaven and Human”, ordinary Chinese would approach to Confucianism in the slang ”People Taking Food as Their Heaven”, here heaven has acquired the sense of religious commitment and political legitimacy for Chinese people.The message disclosed in the relations between food and heaven symbolically mirrors Chinese reflections as well as convictions on human rights as the gamut of rights from political to economic ones.The Confucian humanism and human rights regimes emerged from its peculiar well-shaped land system in ancient society which also gave rise to its economic ethics prioritizing individual benefits to public wealth monopolized by powerful officials of the government.By insinuating open access to the well, Confucians generalized the people-oriented principle in a reformed ”rule of propriety and music”, imposing both positive and negative duties on government.Confucian ethics focused on human rights has thus been the solid and sustained bedrock of any edifice in Chinese politics and economics.
heaven”s mandate humanity righteousness well-shaped land system human rights
Shan Chun
China University of Political Science and Law
国内会议
纪念孔子诞辰2565周年国际学术研讨会暨国际儒学联合会第五届会员大会
北京
英文
2033-2048
2014-09-01（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）