Abstract
Recent discussion concerning the globalization of ethics and the prospects for a common morality, as well as related issues
such as inculturation, pluralism, and multiculturalism all provide a challenging context for critical ethical reflection on the
notions of human rights as these are found in various cultural and religious traditions. This article focuses on a cross-cultural
discussion of human rights by considering the Confucian understanding of human rights as human rites grounded
in the notion of relationality based on the Confucian Five Relationships and the virtues of li (propriety) and hsin (fidelity).
The article argues that Confucianism is a positive resource for both inter-religious dialogue and cross-cultural ethics and
concludes by outlining some prospects for using the Confucian notion of human rights and the common good to further
discussion on multiculturalism, inter-religious and cross-cultural dialogue.