Human Rights and East Asian Philosophy : Traditional and Recent Approaches

Human rights, viewed as universal moral rights since the 1948 Universal Declaration, are increasingly examined in relation to non-Western traditions. This edited volume explores the intersection of East Asian philosophies - Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism - with human rights discourse.

Human rights, viewed as universal moral rights since the 1948 Universal Declaration, are increasingly examined in relation to non-Western traditions. This edited volume explores the intersection of East Asian philosophies – Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism – with human rights discourse, examining whether these ancient traditions can accommodate universal values while preserving their core philosophical foundations. The collection features scholarly analyses of how traditional East Asian thought engages with contemporary human rights, including privacy rights, environmental rights, and epistemic rights. The work demonstrates how these philosophical traditions offer unique interpretations that both challenge and enrich the Western paradigm of human rights. The volume provides critical insights into cross-cultural dialogue and the potential for more inclusive global human rights frameworks. This book serves philosophers, political theorists, human rights scholars, and scholars of Asian intellectual traditions. It appeals to those researching multicultural approaches to human rights, comparative ethics, and the dialogue between tradition and modernity.