• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

社论:闪耀人权光辉的中华传统思想

by Yee Loon
26/12/2018
in 舆论, 观点
Reading Time: 1 min read
0

有读者向本社反映,人权是“舶来品”,是老外搞的一套,争取、崇尚人权形同崇洋媚外。这似乎是说,中华传统思想中,并没有“以人为本”的信念,此言差矣。

那么,在中华传统思想中,有“人权”的概念吗?找遍中华古代经典肯定是没有“人权”一词的,应是近代直接由“human right”翻译而来。虽然人权人权是西方文化的产物,但是我们老祖宗的智慧,却在千百年前就闪耀着人权的光辉。

在中国古代社会中,关于尊重人的基本生存权、平等和和谐共处的精神,在中华传统文化中非常丰富,信手捏来:己所不欲勿施于人,若别人不愿意,绝不强加事物在他人身上,其实就是敬重彼此权益的一种体现。以下我们再举些例子:

孟子:民为贵,社稷次之,君为轻

就是把百姓福祉放在首位,其次是社会发展,再来才是领袖。其实这都体现了儒家思想中,重视人民百姓、仁爱世人的主张,把人的权益放在首位。

其他类似倡议人民权益的说法,还有“民为邦本,本固邦存”,“君以民存,亦以民亡”、“天下为公”。“天下非一人之天下也,天下之天下也”等等。

所以如果古代天子施暴政失民心,人民处在水生火热中,很容易造成农民起义,推翻暴政,改朝换代。

有教无类 — 平等的受教育权利

不分贫富贵贱,都有受教育的权利,所以我们的先辈下南洋,仍然不忘教育,兴办学府让莘莘学子求取学问,成人成才为国做贡献。

这就是为何,“再穷不能穷教育”的观念一直根深蒂固于我们华裔的传统思想中,不论贫富贵贱,政府必须确保人人都有受教育的机会,才能避免贫富不均扩大。

不患寡而患不均

这是孔子提出有关透过税收,来确保人民财富分配均匀的观念。这算是世上最早提出社会公义和平等的观念。

孔子在《论语·季民第十六》 中指出:“闻有国有家者,不患寡而患不均,不患贫而患不安。盖均无贫,和无寡,安无倾。”

孔子是劝解某位君主,不论有国的诸侯或封地的大夫,不应担心财富不多,只需担心财富分配不均; 不要担心人少,而只需提防境内不安宁; 财富分配均平,便无所谓贫穷; 人民和睦相处,便不觉得人少; 境内安宁就没有亡国的危险。

与此同时,这也凸显孔子的反战思想,不主张通过军事手段解决国际、国内问题。

安得广厦千万间,大庇天下寒士俱欢颜

这是唐代名诗人杜甫,在《茅屋为秋风所破歌》中,祈求居者有其屋,希望天下百姓都有基本的居住权利,不再有人流落街头挨冻受饿。

心之官则思,思则得之,不思则不得也

孟子言人“性善”,承认人性可以凭藉“心”来认知社会环境,所以说:“尽其心者,知其性也;知其性,则知天矣。”孟子所理解的心,同时也是理性、良知和良能,符合《世界人权宣言》第一条:人人生而自由,在尊严和权利上一律平等。他们赋有理性和良心,并应以兄弟关系的精神相对待。

人权日定在每年的12月10日。《世界人权宣言》所倡议的,皆是普世价值,在我们中华传统价值观中,先辈们也吁求人互敬互爱,呼吁保障、尊重人的基本生存权利,反对任何形式的不人道压迫和剥夺他人性命和财产。

 

资料参考:

《世界人权宣言》

《儒家传统与人权》-李明辉

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

Forum Asia calls for India to revoke arbitrary ban on BBC documentary
Civil Society

Forum Asia calls for India to revoke arbitrary ban on BBC documentary

07/02/2023
AFP

Google to release ChatGPT rival named Bard

07/02/2023
Earthquake kills more than 3,800 in Turkey, Syria
AFP

Earthquake kills more than 3,800 in Turkey, Syria

07/02/2023
Leong Mun Wai calls for a reset of housing policies to deliver affordable and accessible HDB flats and protect retirement adequacy
Politics

Leong Mun Wai calls for a reset of housing policies to deliver affordable and accessible HDB flats and protect retirement adequacy

07/02/2023
LTA revises ERP rates up after latest review; Gantries reach as high as S$5 for 8:30am – 9:00am
Singapore

LTA revises ERP rates up after latest review; Gantries reach as high as S$5 for 8:30am – 9:00am

07/02/2023
Stern warnings was an “in-between” solution as CPIB lacks sufficient evidence to prosecute six former KOM executives for bribery, said Indranee Rajah
Parliament

Stern warnings was an “in-between” solution as CPIB lacks sufficient evidence to prosecute six former KOM executives for bribery, said Indranee Rajah

06/02/2023

Latest posts

Forum Asia calls for India to revoke arbitrary ban on BBC documentary

Forum Asia calls for India to revoke arbitrary ban on BBC documentary

07/02/2023

Google to release ChatGPT rival named Bard

07/02/2023
Earthquake kills more than 3,800 in Turkey, Syria

Earthquake kills more than 3,800 in Turkey, Syria

07/02/2023
Leong Mun Wai calls for a reset of housing policies to deliver affordable and accessible HDB flats and protect retirement adequacy

Leong Mun Wai calls for a reset of housing policies to deliver affordable and accessible HDB flats and protect retirement adequacy

07/02/2023
LTA revises ERP rates up after latest review; Gantries reach as high as S$5 for 8:30am – 9:00am

LTA revises ERP rates up after latest review; Gantries reach as high as S$5 for 8:30am – 9:00am

07/02/2023
Stern warnings was an “in-between” solution as CPIB lacks sufficient evidence to prosecute six former KOM executives for bribery, said Indranee Rajah

Stern warnings was an “in-between” solution as CPIB lacks sufficient evidence to prosecute six former KOM executives for bribery, said Indranee Rajah

06/02/2023
19-year-old delivery rider in China covers 5km in 22 minutes to deliver antivenom to woman who had bitten by snake

19-year-old delivery rider in China covers 5km in 22 minutes to deliver antivenom to woman who had bitten by snake

06/02/2023
Why is Gautam Adani’s Indian empire in turmoil?

Adani shares dive again as Indian opposition stages demos

06/02/2023

Trending posts

Cognizant India transfers staff to work in Singapore as recently as this year

Local IT grads can’t find jobs while engineers constantly transferred from India to work in SG under CECA

by Correspondent
05/02/2023
97

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
47

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
26

...

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

No response from Josephine Teo on whether Mediacorp has been instructed to stop coverage of SMT circulation scandal

No response from Josephine Teo over alleged blackout of coverage by Mediacorp over SMT circulation scandal

by Terry Xu
06/02/2023
11

...

Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives

Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives

by The Online Citizen
02/02/2023
19

...

December 2018
M T W T F S S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  
« Nov   Jan »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia