Origin of China’s Human Rights Civilization

— A Summary of the International Academic Conference on the Ideas of Human Rights in Ancient Chinese Classics

DING Jin* & TENG Zhenduo**

Abstract: Human rights are both a hallmark of progress in human civilization and a shared achievement of all civilizations. Throughout history, civilizations, including the Chinese civilization, have continuously explored fundamental questions about human life, value, and dignity, collectively shaping the foundation of global human rights civilization. On November 20, 2024, the International Academic Conference on the Ideas of Human Rights in Ancient Chinese Classics was held at the Yuelu Academy of Hunan University. Attendants explored the historical origin and creative transformation of China’s human rights civilization from four dimensions, namely comparative studies of human rights civilizations in China and abroad, human rights concepts in Confucian classics and historical records, human rights concepts in Chinese philosophical and miscellaneous works, and human rights concepts in legal texts. The conference examined the historical connection between human rights concepts in ancient Chinese classics and the shared values of humanity, aiming to promote global human rights dialogue and mutual learning through civilizational exchanges. By bridging “ancient and modern, East and West,” it illuminated the civilizational foundations and Chinese wisdom underlying global human rights governance.

Keywords: ancient Chinese classics · human rights concepts · human rights civilization · global civilization initiative