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P. C. Chang’s Human Rights Philosophy of Pluralism

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Historic Achievement of a Common Standard

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Abstract

This chapter studies P. C. Chang’s human rights philosophy, and discusses the development of his pluralism influenced by Confucian doctrines, John Dewey’s philosophy, and Islamic culture. It finds the theoretical and social supports for P. C. Chang to successfully take advantage of the Chinese wisdom in resolving conflicts and disputes and providing all kinds of solutions to the problems encountered by analyzing the developing process of P. C. Chang’s pluralism and the connotations of his philosophy. His pluralism was formed on the social foundation of his rich social experiences as an educator and philosopher, playwright and disseminator of Chinese culture, human rights activist and diplomat, and main drafter of the Declaration and principal architect of the international human rights system. Besides, it focuses on the rich connotation, value, and significance of his human rights philosophy of pluralism. It ends with the contemporary evaluation of his pluralism: It was his pluralism that played a significant role in mediating the disputes and resolving conflicts during the whole drafting process.

A shorter version of this chapter was published in China Legal Science. Refer to Sun (2017a)/Also refer to a more detailed Chinese version: Sun (2017b, pp. 333–388).

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Sun (2014, p. 8).

  2. 2.

    See detailed explanations about this name in Footnote 1, Sun (2017b, p. 23).

  3. 3.

    Chang (1995).

  4. 4.

    Refer to Sun (2017a,b, Appendix A).

  5. 5.

    Chang (1956, p. 165). Also refer to the Chinese version in Cui and Cui  (2004, p. 324).

  6. 6.

    Chang (1956, P. 165). Also refer to the Chinese version in Cui and Cui  (2004, p. 324).

  7. 7.

    Hua (2014, p. 33).

  8. 8.

    Cui and Cui (2004, p. 615).

  9. 9.

    Chang (1956, p. 165). Also refer to the Chinese version in Cui and Cui (2004, pp. 325–326).

  10. 10.

    Sun (2014, p. 5).

  11. 11.

    Chang (1946, p. 150).

  12. 12.

    Chang (1995, p. 179).

  13. 13.

    Chang (1923, p. 26).

  14. 14.

    Chang (1923, p. 26).

  15. 15.

    Chang (1923, pp. 26–27).

  16. 16.

    Chang (1923, p. 27).

  17. 17.

    Chang (1923, p. 27).

  18. 18.

    Chang (1923, pp. 27–28).

  19. 19.

    Chang (1923, p. 27).

  20. 20.

    Chang (1923, p. 29).

  21. 21.

    Dewey, J. At school and in society (p. 383). Cited from Chang (1923, p. 29).

  22. 22.

    Dewey, J. At school and in society (p. 383). Cited from Chang (1923, p. 29).

  23. 23.

    Dewey, J. At school and in society (p. 383). Cited from Chang (1923, p. 29).

  24. 24.

    Chang (1923, p. 31).

  25. 25.

    Chang (1923, pp. 30–31).

  26. 26.

    Hua (2014, p. 38).

  27. 27.

    Hua (2014, p. 39).

  28. 28.

    Chang (1942a, p. 145).

  29. 29.

    Chang (1942a, p. 145).

  30. 30.

    Chang (1942b, p. 149).

  31. 31.

    Chang (1942b, p. 149).

  32. 32.

    Chang (1995, p. 179).

  33. 33.

    Or: American Committee For Nonparticipation Japanese Aggression.

  34. 34.

    Chang (1942a, pp. 144–146).

  35. 35.

    Chang (1942a, pp. 144–146).

  36. 36.

    Ruth and Cheng (1995, p. 15).

  37. 37.

    UN Document: GAOR C.3, p. 177.

  38. 38.

    UN Document: GAOR C.3, p. 177.

  39. 39.

    UN Document: E/CN.4/AC.1/SR.11, p. 10.

  40. 40.

    UN Document: E/CN.4/AC.1/SR.11, p. 10.

  41. 41.

    Sun (2011).

  42. 42.

    The Committee’s report, the questionnaire, and several of the responses were collected with an introduction by Jacques Maritain (1949, p. 186). (Another version of translation: “The people are the most important element in a nature; the spirits of the land and grain are the next; the sovereign is the lightest.” Refer to Mencius (2014, p. 359).

  43. 43.

    UN Document: GAOR C.3, p. 48.

  44. 44.

    Cited from Peng-chun Chang, “World significance of economically ‘low pressure’ areas,” Speech at the Second Session of the Economic and Social Council, June 4, 1946, reprinted in Ruth and Cheng (1995, pp. 151–153)/Glendon (2001, p. 185).

  45. 45.

    Malik (1948), cited in H. C. Malik (Ed.), (2000, pp. 120–121).

  46. 46.

    UN Document: GAOR C.3, p. 154.

  47. 47.

    http://research.un.org/en/undhr/draftingcommittee#s-lg-box-wrapper-3385355 (accessed on 19 February, 2016).

  48. 48.

    UN Document: E/PV.69, p. 111.

  49. 49.

    U. S. Department of State (2008, p. 32).

  50. 50.

    The 103rd meeting was held at the Palais de Chaillot, Paris, on Friday October 15, 1948, at 10.45 a.m.

  51. 51.

    UN Document: GAOR C.3, pp. 153–154.

  52. 52.

    Sun (2012, pp. 330–331).

  53. 53.

    Chang (1936, pp. 46–47).

  54. 54.

    Huang (2013, p. 16).

  55. 55.

    UN Document: GAOR C.3, p. 48.

  56. 56.

    Lo (1949, pp. 186–187).

  57. 57.

    Refer to Appendix A.

  58. 58.

    Refer to Appendix A.

  59. 59.

    Sun (2012, p. 338).

  60. 60.

    U. S. Department of State (2008, p. 31).

  61. 61.

    Chang, “World significance of economically ‘low pressure’ areas,” Speech at the second session of the Economic and Social Council, June 4, 1946, reprinted in Ruth and Cheng (1995, p. 151)/Glendon (2001, p. 185).

  62. 62.

    UN Document: E/CN.4/AC.1/SR.15, p. 4. (P. C. Chang’s Proposal: “Everyone has the right to education . Primary education shall be obligatory and shall be provided by the State or community in which he lives. There shall be equal access to technical, culture and higher education as can be provided by the State or community on the basis of merit and without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.”).

  63. 63.

    UN Document: E/CN.4/SR.67, p. 16. (P. C. Chang’s Proposal: “1. Everyone has the right to education , including free fundamental education and equal access on the basis of merit to higher education. 2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms”.).

  64. 64.

    UN Document: E/CN.4/SR.69, p. 9. (P. C. Chang’s Proposal: “Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality, to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and to the promotion of international goodwill.”).

  65. 65.

    UN Document: GAOR C.3, p. 462. (P. C. Chang’s Proposal: “2. Everyone has the right of free and equal access to public service of their country.”).

  66. 66.

    UN Document: GAOR C.3, p. 868. (P. C. Chang’s Proposal: “Elementary education shall be compulsory; technical and professional education shall be made generally available; and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.”).

  67. 67.

    Cui and Cui (2004).

  68. 68.

    UN Document: E/CN.4/AC.1/SR.11, p. 10.

  69. 69.

    UN Document: E/CN.4/AC.1/SR.11, pp. 10–11.

  70. 70.

    Will (2012, p. 337).

  71. 71.

    Will (2012, p. 338).

  72. 72.

    Refer to Appendix A.

  73. 73.

    UN Document: E/CN.4/SR.51, pp. 5–6.

  74. 74.

    P. C. Chang liked Ibsen’s plays very much, not only performed Ibsen’s Public Enemy and Nora in theater, but also bought a set of the English version of Complete Collection of Ibsen, which was given to Cao Yu in December 1929, who benefited a lot from this Complete Collection of Ibsen.

  75. 75.

    P. C. Chang particularly appreciated Indian foremost poet, Tagore’s poetry , and especially liked his masterpiece Crescent Moon . In November 1923, Chang’s second daughter was born, he named her Crescent Moon. By this time, P. C. Chang’s friends Xu Zhimo, Hu Shih, Liang Shih-chiu, Chen Xiying, and so on prepared to organize a Literary Society. Because the name of the Literary Society was not decided at the preparatory stage, P. C. Chang recommended his daughter’s name Crescent Moon to his friends, thus “Crescent Moon Society ” came into being, which became a strong contingent of the New Cultural Movement. When P. C. Chang served as Dean of Tsinghua University in 1924, Tagore visited China. On May 10, 1924, Qi Dela was performed in English in the auditorium of Xiehe Medical College to celebrate Tagore’s 64th birthday. P. C. Chang served as a director, and Liang Sicheng painted the scene. Actress (Qi Dela) was played by Lin Whei-yin (Lin Huiyin), and Xu Zhimo played Cupid. This was the first performance of Indian drama in China, Mei Lanfang and Tagore watched the performance.

  76. 76.

    Although P. C. Chang did not study Western literature, he was still very passionate about a lot of British dramatists, especially Shakespeare. He taught British literature “Shakespearean Verse” in liberal arts class of Nankai School (where Zhou Enlai studied) in the spring semester in 1917. On October 31, 1927, he made a speech entitled “Shakespeare and the masterpiece Tempest” for the new troupe in room 108 of Nankai New Xiushan Building. During the process of lecturing in England, P. C. Chang went to Stanford upon Avon to attend the anniversary of Shakespeare ’s birthday on April 23, 1936, giving a speech with a title of “Chinese appraises for Shakespeare”. News Chronicle reported that “Dr. Chang was a star in this speech.” In addition, he directed the rehearsal of the British dramatist Wilder’s Lady Windermere’s Fan in 1926. He translated John Galsworthy’s Strife together with Cao Yu and directed the play by himself, which was staged on October 17, 1929 with great and unprecedented success.

  77. 77.

    Glendon (2000, p. 2).

  78. 78.

    Sun (2012, pp. 93–112).

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  1. School of Foreign Languages, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing, China

    Pinghua Sun

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Sun, P. (2018). P. C. Chang’s Human Rights Philosophy of Pluralism. In: Historic Achievement of a Common Standard. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8370-9_8

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