A confucian approach to human rights

“The basic ethical concept of Chinese social political relations is the fulfilment of the duty to one’s neighbour, rather than the claiming of rights. The idea of mutual obligations is regarded as the fundamental teaching of Confucianism.” This is what the Chinese philosopher Lo Chung-Shu (1903-1985) wrote in his text, titled “Human Rights in the Chinese Tradition”, sent to UNESCO on 1 June 1947. An excerpt follows.