ZHANG Wanhong,WANG Qingxun

 

Abstract: While the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) was being drafted, the American Anthropologist Melville Herskovits wrote the well-known Statement on Human Rights, which was endorsed and published by the American Anthropological Association. The Statement fully expressed the anthropologists’ concern for the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, i.e. could human rights be a universal concept? How to avoid human rights being a conceptual system derived from the Euro-American popular value system? Could human rights represent Asian, African, and Latin American countries, and further become a desirable consensus? We call these questions the “Herskovits’ Question”.

 

We believe that Herskovits’ Question has lifted the universality issue of human rights up to a new level. The basic consciousness of question lies in that, whether human rights is a West-centralist concept, or whether human rights is universal. From an anthropological point of view, to respect individuals first means to respect the culture of each individual society. The riddance of West-centralist perspective is the prerequisite for all these. If the UDHR were designed to be the ideal blueprint for the international society, and the moral values for people all over the world to strive for, then its outcome would be the deprivation of freedom of the people whose idea for “better life” runs counter to the priority ordering depicted in the UDHR.

 

The Herskovits’ Question gains new pondering space and responding material in 21st century, especially in 21st century China. In this context, we could revisit the historic concerns expressed by Herskovits seven decades ago.

 

First of all, the ruling party in China is dedicated to satisfy the “people’s growing needs for a better life”. Such pursuit of “better life” is no different from the “most desirable way of life” depicted by Herskovits. “Better life” can be said the expression of Chinese People’s ideal way of life in the 21st century. The idea and realization of “better life” of the Chinese People is with Chinese characteristics, and at the same time, on the same track with the world human rights development.

 

Secondly, in recent years, the Chinese leaders have been thinking on significant matters concerning the future of mankind, such as “what kind of world to build, and how to build such a world”, and making important elaborations regarding the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind on various occasions. A scientific, comprehensive, meaningful, and far-reaching system of thoughts has been formed. The idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind has responded to the “Herskovits’ Question” in a profound way. Within the framework of a community with a shared future for mankind, we carry on the excellent notions of “仁/Benevolence” “爱/Love” and “和/Harmony” in traditional Chinese culture, not to disdain any foreign culture or derogate their way of advancement of human rights. Only in this way, can all human rights be safeguarded, modern human rights system be sustained, wars and conflicts over power among countries and groups be avoided, and true harmony and development of all countries be achieved.

 

Key Words:  Anthropology；Human Rights；Universal Declaration on Human Rights；Statement on Human Rights