Values in China as Compared to Africa: Two Conceptions of Harmony

Realizing Ubuntu in Global Health: An African Approach to Global Health Justice

“…To the extent that being a person implies showing generosity, caring, compassion and other relational moral excellences, it would be part of being a person in community with others to support others’ flourishing. Metz distinguishes African from Western views of good governance in this regard: from an African perspective, the point of governing is ‘to improve people’s quality of life and, especially to foster their self-realization as ethical beings...This means not merely meeting the biological needs of citizens and making them well off as individuals, but also promoting the moral good or relational human excellence’ ( Metz, 2017 : 152). By contrast, many theorists from the Western tradition ‘maintain that a state should merely enforce people’s individual rights to live as they see fit’.…”

“…Likewise, Metz interprets the African view of persons as holding that ‘one should strive to maximize self-realization or human excellence (literally ubuntu ), where such virtue is capable of continuous development’ ( Metz, 1999 : 137). Metz adds that ‘Perfectionism is a clear implication of ethical systems that deem harmony to be a central value’ ( Metz, 2017 : 152). Interpreted in this manner, a global health community sets a high bar of moral excellence toward others.…”

The morality of vengeance: Confucianism and Tutuism in dialogue

“…More precisely, a person would only live according to benevolence if she took her relationships in harmonious ways, i.e., respecting hierarchies and roles that she may have. Clearly, one of the most fundamental aspects is, as we explained above, filial piety, which entails living harmoniously in the family, i.e., respecting hierarchies (Metz, 2017).…”

“…Firstly, as most comparative philosophy studies focus on comparisons between the East and the West, we compare African and Chinese philosophies. Secondly, previous studies comparing African and Chinese philosophy have focused mostly on moral concepts such as harmony and filial piety, whereas we focus instead on the arguments about the morality of revenge (Bell & Metz, 2011; Li, 2016; Metz, 2014, 2016, 2017). Thirdly, we defend an account that has not yet been defended at length; namely, we uphold that Tutuism and Confucianism are to a great extent compatible and complementary when it comes to the topic of vengeance and to some basic moral values.…”

Comparing Political Values in China and the West: What Can Be Learned and Why It Matters

“…Political hierarchy could be justified if those with power effectively serve the well-being of the governed and if the relationship between participants expresses relations of trust and commitment between the rulers and the ruled (Chan 2014, Tiwald 2012. A defense of hierarchy from the perspective of Confucian ethics would also emphasize relational properties, such as harmony, as foundational (as opposed to more characteristically Western views that normativity is a function of properties intrinsic to the individual, such as autonomy, rationality, or desire) and defend hierarchical relations if they are necessary to prevent discord and foster communion (Metz 2017). If a hierarchical form of government serves the people, establishes relations of mutual trust between rulers and ruled, and promotes harmonious relations between the people while establishing mechanisms to prevent abuses of power, then it is justified by Confucian standards even if it conflicts with contemporary ideas of political equality.…”