孔汉思 德国图宾根大学
Küng, Hans, University of Tübingen
原文Original
Traditional Chinese Ethic as a Basis for a Global Ethic
Exactly 30 years ago, I was here in Beijing to discuss Confucius for the first time. It was the end of August, 1979, three years after the death of Mao Zedong (8.9.1976). The place was the Beijing University. With this first visit to the Peoples’ Republic of China, I still associate manifold feelings of gratitude.
My thanks go first of all to Julia Ching – who stands, so to speak, for many Chinese colleagues with whom I am bound in friendship. Coming from Shanghai and later holding professorships in Canberra, Yale, and Toronto, she was a dear friend, whose premature death is all the more regrettable. Readily she took up my suggestion to visit China together, so that in 1979 – under the leadership of our mutual friend Sargent Shriver-Kennedy, the brother-in-law of the President and the founder of the Peace Corps – we joined a delegation of some twenty persons under the egis of the Kennedy Institute for Bioethics in Washington, D.C. and traveled to Beijing.
My thanks go, in second place, to the Chinese Academy of the Social Sciences and the Institute for World Religions. It was my privilege, as the first Western philosopher and theologian, to speak here on 27 August, 1979 – openly and without prior censorship – on religion and the question of God. The first of my nine theses asserted: We must distinguish between religion and superstition. The last thesis proclaimed: No one should be coerced physically or morally to adopt a particular religion or ideology.
My thanks go, in the third place, to the Chinese government. We were, in 1979, the first group of foreigners to be allowed to visit Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius and indeed to stay in the Kung family mansion during our visit. At the Beijing University, the colleagues with whom I spoke were still very uncertain about blaming Confucius as a reactionary or praising him as a moralist.
My thanks go, in the fourth place, to the Chinese people. Over the centuries, it has honored the tomb of the great sage, and, through more than two thousand years, it has maintained the ethical heritage of Confucius – even in the face of the Cultural Revolution of 1966, which had been directed against the Four Olds: Old Customs, Old Culture, Old Habits, and Old Ideas. In 1979, the last traces of destruction on the huge Confucius Temple next to the mansion had just been repaired.
Today, however, my special thanks go to the Renmin University of China and its Institute for the Promotion of Chinese Language and Culture, under the direction of Professor Yang Huilin. Thanks to them, I am able to be here in Beijing once again, this time in the ideal Chinese age of 9 x 9 years–with grey hair like the legendary Laozi, but not so long hidden in the womb of his mother! How wonderful, that the respect for aged persons and their wisdom has remained a constant throughout the course of Chinese history. Thus I am exceedingly grateful that I am able to speak to you now at the Second World Conference on Sinology, after having been impeded from taking part in the first conference.
Ⅰ. Global Ethic in a Chinese Context
A preliminary remark: in no way do I claim to be a sinologist proposing to instruct you on traditional Chinese ethic. By the same token, I am not a missionary seeking to convert you to any religion, new or old. I address you simply as a scholar, a man of learning, a Christian philosopher and theologian, who has studied and admired the history of the culture of China in books and in the field, ever since he first set foot on Chinese soil in Hong Kong in 1963, some five decades ago, and who, for many years now, has been fostering a program to promote a dialogue of the religions and a global ethic. Happily, this program has evoked a very positive echo precisely in China.
No peace among the nations without peace among the religions.
No peace among the religions without dialogue between the religions.
No dialogue between the religions without investigation of the foundations of the religions.
No survival of our globe in peace and justice without a new paradigm of international relations on the basis of global ethical standards.
For the development of the global ethic issues in a Chinese context, three insights have been important to me:
First insight (derived from the dialogue lectures with Julia Ching at the University of Tübingen in 1987): Alongside the major stream-systems of the Near Eastern prophetic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and of the Indian mystical religions (Hinduism and Buddhism), the Chinese sapiential religions (Confucianism and Daoism) constitute a third independent stream-system of equal culture-historical standing.
Second insight (derived from the First UNESCO Colloquium on World Religions in Paris in 1989): For Confucianism in a special way, the humanum, i.e. everything that belongs to human beings as human, represents a central and basic idea that can serve as a fundamental criterion for discriminating between well-functioning and mal-functioning religion.
Third insight (derived from the Second Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1993): The special Chinese contribution to a global ethic is represented by the Golden Rule of Reciprocity (shu), the first formulation of which in the history of the religions is found in the Analects of Confucius. This rule is the cornerstone of the Global Ethic Declaration, which I had the privilege of drafting on the basis of my book Projekt Weltethos (1990), which appeared in English translation under the title Global Responsibility: In Search of a new World Ethic (1991).
But what is here important, is the authentic Chinese response to this major intellectual challenge. Fundamental for the development of an awareness of the global ethic on the Chinese mainland was the First Conference on Global Ethic and Traditional Chinese Ethic in Beijing in 1997.
Ⅱ. The Birth-Certificate of a Chinese Global Ethic: the First Conference on Global Ethic and Traditional Chinese Ethic (Beijing 1997)
From 10-12 September, 1997, an academic symposium was held in the Da Jue Temple in Beijing, bringing together religious and academic figures from all over China, who were known for their ethical, religious (Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist or Christian), political, juridical, economic, historical and philosophical or humanistic studies. After intensive discussion, this First Conference on Global Ethic and Traditional Chinese Ethic issued a declaration, which serves, so to speak, as the birth certificate for a global ethic rooted in and interpreted by traditional Chinese ethic.
The 24 Chinese scholars acknowledge: the Global Ethic Declaration of the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago 1993 is of great significance, because – in a time when the world urgently needs an ethical foundation for the reshaping of the world order – it [this Declaration] seeks to find in all the already existing ethical cultures and religious traditions a most fundamental ethic, which it reaffirms and restates in conformity with today’s conditions of existence (A Global Ethic and Global Responsibilities: Two Declarations, ed. by Hans Küng and Helmut Schmidt, London 1998, p. 126). The Chinese statement goes on to say that the Chicago Declaration is of greatest value, because it includes within the scope of discussion not only religious, but also non-religious circles (p. 126).
The Chinese statement likewise pays tribute to the Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities proposed by the Interaction Council of former heads of state and government, which puts individual duties alongside the individual rights and thus gives the frequently neglected notion of responsibility its proper emphasis. (p. 126).
The participants in the symposium discussed intensively the complex notions of global ethic and traditional Chinese ethic. As to the latter, they realized that besides Confucian ethics this also included Buddhist ethics, Taoist ethics and other ethical conventions commonly accepted by Chinese people. Finally, mention was made of the changes and trials in modern times (p. 127).
What then is the specifically Chinese contribution to a global ethic? Here I would like to call attention to four points of the Chinese statement:
(a) the specific Chinese approach: harmony in diversity is designated to be the central value and the foundation of the contribution of traditional ethic to a global ethic (p. 127).
(b) shared ethical imperatives: while recognizing the diversity and distinctiveness of individuals, those shared ethical imperatives should be advocated which are set forth in the Global Ethic Declaration of Chicago and which have been formulated in remarkably identical ways in the different ethical and religious scriptures: do not kill, do not steal’’, do not commit adultery (p. 127).
(c) specific Chinese notions: as ideas that could give the formulation of a global ethic a specifically Chinese coloring or confer higher authority on the spirit and values of a global ethic, the following notions were discussed: tiandao= way to heaven; tianli= law of heaven; renci= mercy, compassion; ren= benevolent humanity; minbao wuyu= respect for life; shengsheng= vital force, compassion for living things; zongshu= loyalty and graciousness; zhongyong= the golden mean; li= sense of social appropriateness; xiao= filial piety; liangzhi= conscience; ceyin= compassion; zhichi= sense of shame; guiyi= sense of justice; zhongxing= emphasis on praxis; etc. (p. 127-128).
(d) the two basic principles of humanity and reciprocity are particularly emphasized: the two ancient Chinese teachings, to do humanly is to be human (ren zhe ren ye) and do not do to other what you do not wish to have done to yourselves(ji suo bu yu, wu shi yu ren) (p. 128).
Quite rightly, the participants in the conference emphasized that a ‘global ethic’ is an open system, and its conception is a starting point, not a final destination. We must continue dialogue and communication on a foundation of mutual tolerance and understanding (p. 128). In conclusion, they expressed their hope that the vision of a global ethic might be fully developed, publicized, and practiced, to benefit the establishment of a moral order for the regional and international relations between all peoples and nations (p. 128).
Ⅲ.Confirmation and concretization: the Second Conference on Global Ethic and Traditional Chinese Ethic (Beijing, October 2001)
Against the dark historical horizon of the terrible events of 11 September, 2001, four years after the first Conference on Global Ethic and Traditional Chinese Ethic, a second conference took place in Beijing on 10-14 October, 2001 – this time in the beautiful official government Dayuan hotel. In the meantime, China had made enormous economic progress. The symposium was organized jointly by several academic institutions in China: Renmin University of China, Beijing University, Tsinghua University, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Fudan University, Wuhan University, Shanxi National University, Hainan University, University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, and the Hong Kong Institute of Sino-Christian Studies.
This time too, Yang Huilin, Liu Xiafeng and He Guanghu played a leading role. I myself took part, together with Professor Karl-Joseph Kuschel, the Vice-President of our Foundation. Both of us have the best memories of the high level of intelligence and tolerance manifested in the discussions.
Once again, it became clear: it is relatively easy to link up the global ethic topics with the great humanistic Chinese tradition and to show that what is at stake is a most important programmatic point for the 21st Century, something which must be accomplished by the younger generation. The lectures that I held, on this occasion, in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and at the Renmin and Tsinghua Universities and the positive echoes from teachers and students gave me great encouragement. Happily, several books and articles on the global ethic topic have now been translated into Chinese, most recently A Global Ethic for Global Politics and Economics.
In the final statement, the Chinese scholars take a thoroughly positive stand with regard to the Global Ethic Declaration of Chicago, 1993. They emphasize the great support for the Principle of Humanity and the Principle of Reciprocity (Golden Rule) as well as for the Four Irrevocable Directives to be found in the Chinese Tradition, and they indicate how important these principles are for the contemporary Chinese society.
With regard to the directive concerning non-violence and respect for life:
According to traditional Chinese thought, using violence against violence is not the right way; the virtue of respect for life is the great virtue. Both Confucianism and Taoism oppose violence and preach stop killing and treasure life. As the ancient saying goes, the people are my brothers; all creation is part of me. Buddhism advocates not only respect for human life but also respect for all forms of life. These ideas contribute to internal peace among humankind as well as harmony between humankind and nature.
With regard to the directive concerning solidarity and justice:
The Confucian precepts that government is the representative of justice and righteousness means appropriateness reflect the search for social justice. Confucianism emphasizes that the foundation of social justice lies in the human being's moral and spiritual self-cultivation, advocates self-rectification and upholds the priority of righteousness. These teachings contribute to the establishment of a just social order. The Confucian view that no man is devoid of a heart sensitive to the suffering of others is a classic articulation of the spirit of human sympathy. The saying all human beings within the four seas are brothers and sisters demonstrates the ideal of human solidarity.
With regard to the directive concerning truthfulness and tolerance:
The Confucian ideas that honesty-sincerity is the Dao of Heaven and to be honest and sincere is the Dao of human beings provide a transcendent basis for honesty and sincerity as between human beings. Chinese traditional thought advocates consideration for others, and suggests that great virtues have a huge capacity to contain things and to tolerate is a sign of greatness. These ideas contribute to the spirit of tolerance that a modern society needs.
With regard to the directive concerning partnership between men and women:
Traditional Chinese ethics recognize the importance of the family and view the family as the foundation of society. Among the Five cardinal relationships, three relate to the family. As the ancient saying goes, the way of the superior man may be found, in its simple elements, in the intercourse of common men and women; but in its utmost reaches, it shines brightly through heaven and earth. Filial piety and brotherliness are considered to be the origin of human moral sentiments and benevolence. Confucianism advocates love for one's family members, then benevolence for all people, then love for all things, cultivate the person, then regulate the family, then order well the state, then bring peace to the whole world.
But despite all the fundamental relevance of traditional Chinese ethic for a global ethic, the decisive question remains:
Ⅳ.Which form of traditional Chinese ethic has a future?
The current world economic crisis demonstrates that neither the USA nor the EU nor the Russian Federation, nor Japan can establish a reformed global financial system alone or bring into effect a new constructive paradigm of international relations. The G7 have learned, that a G20 is needed, namely the cooperation of the emerging countries and especially the leading roles played by China and India. Many experts, in fact, believe that China could be the locomotive to pull the world out of the economic crisis. But, in my opinion, China can only play this weighty global political role, when, with respect to its gigantic future tasks in internal and foreign affairs, it turns back to reflect on its impressive ethical tradition and thus comes to realize more true democracy. In the face of a runaway westernization, an unchecked individualism, and a materialism without morals, many Chinese are deeply concerned about Chinese culture and the future of the nation.
But which traditional Chinese ethic has a future and can thus be effective for a global ethic? Let me sum up: certainly not a conventional Confucianism, which sees itself as a backwards oriented ideology, which simply pursues sterile textual studies and favors a society of hierarchical relations without reciprocity. A permanent domination of parents over their children, men over women, in short, any patriarchal social order, has no future. Such an ethic of social conformity contradicts, however, the significance of the self, the goodness and integrity of the moral person, as these come to expression in the Analects of Confucius.
What does have a future and what can indeed contribute to a global ethic is the traditional Chinese ethos, as it finds expression especially in the Analects of Confucius. China and the world need:
-an ethos that rediscovers the value of the human being and his self-assertion, his sense of reality, his moral qualities and his perseverance;
-an ethos that upholds true humanity as the central value;
-an ethos that views each human being, at the same time, as a part of a society rather than as an isolated individual;
-an ethos that bases the fundamental relationships to others in a society on universally binding ethical values, which do not depend on prevailing selfish interests.
In the framework of a new global order, we should pay attention to what Confucianism has always emphasized: the priority of ethos before economics and politics, and the priority of the ethical person before all institutions. China and the world need:
-an economic order, which orients human beings to moral duty and social responsibility, despite the recognition of legitimate pursuit of profit;
-a political order, which is determined in the last analysis by the Golden Rule rather than the force of the more powerful;
-a harmony of human beings with nature and its natural cycles, which links economics to ecology;
-an interpretation of reality, which remains open for the expanse of Heaven, the dimension of transcendence.
Permit me, dear friends, to conclude my remarks with the words that I used in the television series Tracing the Way, as I stood before the Great Wall. Two thousand, two hundred years have now passed since the unification of China and the building of the Great Wall under the first emperor. China’s Great Wall no longer protects people. But China’s Great Wall no longer divides people either. People in China, too, no longer want to shut themselves off, but to be open: they want to take part in the one world and to join in shaping the future of humankind. The great humane tradition of China will help here: the sense of humanity, mutuality and harmony (H. Küng, Tracing the Way, London/New York 2002, p. 130).
译文Translation
作为一种全球伦理基础的中国传统伦理
恰好在30年前，我初次到北京参与孔子思想的讨论。那是在1979年8月末，毛泽东逝世（
首先，我要感谢秦家懿教授，可以说，她代表了与我结成友谊的许多中国同仁。秦家懿来自上海，后来先后执教于堪培拉大学、耶鲁大学和多伦多大学。她是一位弥足珍贵的朋友，她的英年早逝令人扼腕叹息。家懿曾一口应允陪同我来中国。因此，1979年，在共同的朋友萨尔金特·施莱弗（Sargent Shriver）——美国总统、和平队创始人肯尼迪的妹夫——的带领下，我们加入一个约由二十人组成的代表团，这个代表团受到华盛顿肯尼迪生物伦理学研究所（Kennedy Institute for Bioethics）的赞助，就这样，我们一行人来到北京。
其次，我要感谢中国社会科学院和世界宗教研究所。很荣幸，
第三，我要感谢中国政府。1979年，我们是第一批被允许访问孔子出生地曲阜的外国人，并在访问期间住在孔府。那时，在北京大学与我交谈的同仁们依然举棋不定：到底应该视孔子为反动派呢，还是应该尊之为道德家。
第四，我还要感谢中国人民。若干世纪过去了，中国人民一直尊重这位伟大圣人的墓地，并且，在超过两千年的时间里，中华民族始终保存着孔子的伦理遗产——即使是在始于1966年的文革时期，那场革命对准了四旧：旧风俗、旧文化、旧习惯和旧思想。1979年，在文革中遭到破坏的宏伟孔庙刚刚修缮完毕。
不过，今天，我要特别感谢中国人民大学，以及杨慧林教授指导下的汉语国际推广研究所。正是由于他们，我才能再次来到北京，这一回，我正值中国人的理想年龄：九九八十一岁——就像传说中的老子那样白发苍苍，但没有他藏在母亲子宫里的时间长。多么美好啊，对老人及其智慧的尊敬，贯穿着中国历史！因此，在未能参加首届世界汉学大会后，现在能够在第二届世界汉学大会上跟大家发言，我内心充满无限感激。
I. 中国语境的全球伦理
首先要声明的是：我绝不会自称是教导你们中国传统伦理的汉学家。同样，我也不是传教士，试图让你们皈依任何新的或旧的宗教。我仅仅以学者的身份向你们发言，我是一位学习者，一名基督教哲学家和神学家。自从1963年在香港踏上中国的土地后，在近50年的时间里，我一直醉心于中国文化史， 并通过书本和考察来研究它。多年以来，我一直在推动一项促进宗教与全球伦理对话的计划。令人欣慰的是，这项计划正是在中国引起了极为热烈的反响。
没有宗教间的和睦，就没有国与国之间的和睦。
没有宗教间的对话，就没有宗教间的和睦。
没有对各种宗教基础的研究，就没有宗教间的对话。
没有基于全球伦理标准的国际关系新范式，就没有全球的和平与正义。
依我之见，关于中国语境中全球伦理问题的发展，以下三点极为重要：
第一点（缘起于1987年在图宾根大学与秦家懿的同台演讲和对话）：除了近东先知宗教的主流体系（犹太教、基督教和伊斯兰教），以及印度神秘宗教的主流体系（印度教和佛教），中国的尚智宗教（儒教和道教）构成了第三个独立的主流体系，这三个体系具有平等的文化-历史地位。
第二点（缘起于1989年在巴黎召开的首届联合国教科文组织世界宗教学术研讨会）：儒教所特有的仁，亦即任何人之为人的东西，代表了一种核心基本理念，其可作为一种基本标准，用于区分运作良好的宗教与运作欠佳的宗教。
第三点（缘起于1993年在芝加哥召开的第二届世界宗教议会大会）：中国对全球伦理做出的独特贡献，体现在推己及人（恕）的金箴上。在宗教史上，这一原则的首次表达可以在《论语》中找到。如今，这条原则成为《全球伦理宣言》（Global Ethic Declaration）的基石。我很荣幸地基于拙著《世界伦理构想》（1990，英文版标题为《全球的责任：寻求新的世界伦理》，1991）之上起草了这一宣言。
重要的是，中国对这个思想挑战做出了真正的回应。在中国大陆，为推动全球伦理意识所迈开的重要一步，是1997年于北京召开的首届全球伦理与中国传统**会。
II. 中国全球伦理的诞生标志：首届全球伦理与中国传统**会（北京 1997）
1997年9月10-12日，在北京大觉寺召开了一次学术研讨会，来自中国各地的宗教人士和学者会聚一堂，他们在伦理、宗教（儒教、道教、佛教或基督教）、政治、法学、经济、历史和哲学或人文研究领域享有盛誉。经过热烈讨论，首届全球伦理与中国传统**会发表了一项宣言，可以说，这标志着全球伦理的诞生，它植根于中国传统伦理并为其所阐释。
与会的24名学者认为：1993年在芝加哥召开的世界宗教议会大会产生的《全球伦理宣言》，意义重大，因为，正当世界急需某种伦理基础，以重整世界秩序时，“这项宣言”致力于从现存的所有伦理文化和宗教传统中，找到某种最根本的伦理，并试图在当今生存状况下对其加以重新确认和阐发。（《全球伦理与全球责任：两项宣言》；A Global Ethic and Global Responsibilities: Two Declarations，Hans Hüng and Helmut Schmidt合编，London，1998，页126）。这项中国宣言还表示，芝加哥宣言价值重大，因为，参与讨论者不仅有宗教界人士，而且也包括了非宗教界人士（页126）。
同时，这项中国宣言给与《人类责任宣言》（Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities）高度评价。《人类责任宣言》由各国前政府首脑组成的互动委员会（Interaction Council）所倡导，其将个人义务和个人权利置于同等重要的地位，因此恰当地强调了长久以来被忽视的责任概念（页126）。
这次研讨会的与会者们对全球伦理与中国传统伦理等复杂概念进行了深入的讨论。他们认为，除了儒家伦理，中国传统伦理还应包括佛教伦理、道教伦理，以及中国人普遍接受的其它伦理习俗。最后，他们也谈到了现代社会的各种变化和考验（页127）。
那么，中国对全球伦理的具体贡献究竟是什么呢？在此，我想提请大家注意这项中国宣言中的以下四点：
a）特定的中国进路：传统伦理中的和而不同被认定是构成全球伦理核心价值和基础的组成部分（页127）。
b）共同的伦理规则：在承认个体多样性和差异性的同时，必须倡导共同的伦理规则，这些规则为芝加哥《全球伦理宣言》所确立，并以明显相似的方式为不同的伦理和宗教圣典所阐发：禁止杀生、禁止偷盗、禁止奸淫（页127）。
c）具有中国特色的概念：有些概念可以使全球伦理的形成具有中国特色，或使全球伦理在精神和价值上具有更高的权威性，它们包括：天道（即自然规律）；天理（即上天的法度）；仁慈（即宽容、同情）；仁（即待人宽爱）；民胞物与（即尊重生命）；生生（即生命力；对生命的珍视）；忠恕（即忠诚与宽恕）；中庸（即中庸之道）；礼（即社会适度感）；孝（即对父母的孝心）；良知（即良心）；恻隐（即同情心）；知耻（即羞耻感）；贵义（即正义感）；忠信（强调行为规范），等等（页127-28）。
d）仁和推己及人的两项基本原则：特别需要加以强调的两个古老的中国教诲就是仁者，人也，以及己所不欲，勿施于人（页128）。
这次会议的与会者们正确地强调指出，“全球伦理”是一个开放的系统，它的观念是一个起点，而非最终目标。我们必须在相互宽容和相互理解的基础上继续对话（页128）。最后，他们表示，希望全球伦理的视野在将来会得到充分发展、宣传和实践，以助于维护这一关系的道德秩序的建立，即所有民族之间的地区关系，以及所有国家间的国际关系（页128）。
III. 确认与具体化：第二届全球伦理与中国传统**会（北京 2001年10月）
在9·11事件的阴霾下，也就是在首届全球伦理与中国传统**会过去四年后，第二届会议于2001年10月10-14日在景色怡人的北京达园宾馆召开。其时，中国已取得巨大的经济成就。这次会议由一些中国学术研究机构联合组织，包括中国人民大学、北京大学、清华大学、中国社科院、复旦大学、武汉大学、山西大学、海南大学、香港大学、香港中文大学、香港浸会大学和香港汉语基督教文化研究所。
在这次会议上，杨慧林、刘小枫与何光沪仍然发挥了重要的作用。我本人与我们基金会副主席库谢尔（Professor Karl-Joseph Kuschel）教授一起参加了会议。在讨论中体现出的极高智慧和极大宽容，给我们两人留下了美好的回忆。
不难再次发现，相对容易的是找到全球伦理问题与中国伟大人文传统之间的关联，而指明21世纪的远景规划也至关重要，那有待年轻一代来完成。那次中国之行，我在中国社科院、人民大学和清华大学主持的几次讨论会，以及从各位老师和学生那里得到的积极回应，给了我莫大的鼓励。令人欣慰的是，我关于全球伦理的一些著作已译成中文，包括刚刚翻译出版的《全球政治与经济的全球伦理》（A Global Ethic for Global Politics and Economics）。
在会议总结中，中国学者对1993年芝加哥《全球伦理宣言》持极为积极的态度。他们重申了仁的基本原则、推己及人的基本原则，以及源自中国传统的四个不可动摇的指导原则，并阐明了这些原则对于当代中国社会所具有的重大意义。
关于止暴和好生的原则：
根据中国传统思想，以暴易暴并非正确的方式；好生之德乃大德。儒教和道教都反对暴力，宣扬戒杀、好生。古语有云，众生皆我手足，万物皆备于我。佛教不仅倡导尊重人的生命，而且尊重一切生命。这些思想有助于人类的内部和睦，也有益于人与自然的和谐。
关于团结和正义的原则：
孔子有训，政者，正也、义者，宜也，这反映了对社会正义的追求。儒教强调，社会正义有赖于人类的道德和精神修养，提倡自律，并鼓励意诚而后心正。这些教诲都有益于公正的社会秩序的建立。儒家学者认为，人皆有恻隐之心，这句话是人类同情精神的经典表述。四海之内皆兄弟，表达了人类团结一致的理想。
关于忠恕的原则：
儒教思想中有诚者，天之道也，诚之者，人之道也，这为人与人的真诚相待提供了超验基础。中国传统思想提倡推己及人，并表示，有容，德乃大、有容乃大。这些思想极大地充实了现代社会所需要的宽容精神。
关于夫妇人伦关系的原则：
中国传统伦理认识到家庭的重要性，并将家庭视为社会的基础。在五常中，有三常关乎家庭，古语有云，君子之道，造端乎夫妇。及其至也，察乎天地。孝悌被认为是人类道德感和仁爱之心的起源。儒教提倡亲亲而仁民，仁民而爱物，身修而后家齐，家齐而后国治，国治而后天下平。
不过，虽然所有这些中国传统伦理都与全球伦理有着根本的关联，但关键的问题依然存在。
IV. 何种形式的中国传统伦理拥有未来？
眼下的世界经济危机表明，无论是美国、欧盟，还是俄联邦、日本，都无力单独重建新的全球金融体系，或独自推出一种富有建设性的新国际关系范式。七国集团（G7）认为有必要成立二十国集团（G20），换言之，需要与那些正在崛起的国家合作，尤其是其中领军的中国与印度。事实上，许多专家相信，中国能够成为火车头，将世界拖出经济危机的泥潭。但是，在我看来，鉴于中国在未来国内外事务中面临的种种艰巨任务，只有回首反思自己令人钦佩的伦理传统，并因此对更多名副其实的民主有所意识和践行时，中国才能发挥这种举足轻重的全球政治作用。面对失去控制的西方化，毫无约束的个人主义，道德沦丧的物质主义，许多中国人高度关注中国文化和民族的未来。
但是，究竟哪种中国传统伦理才有未来，并因此对全球伦理行之有效呢？我总结如下：毫无疑问，不会是传统儒教，传统儒教自视为一种保守的思想，仅仅从事枯燥乏味的文本研究，偏爱那种没有相互平等、等级关系分明的社会。父为子纲，夫为妻纲。简而言之，任何父权社会秩序都没有未来。然而，这种服从社会要求的伦理与体现在孔子《论语》中的一些思想是相互矛盾的，即，自我的意义，有道德的个人应有的善良和正直。
真正有未来并确实能为全球伦理做出贡献的是中华民族的传统精神，这种精神尤其体现在孔子的《论语》中。中国和世界需要：
——一种重新发现人的价值、人的自我主张、人的现实感、道德品质和坚韧性的民族精神；
——一种倡导以真正的人道为核心价值的民族精神；
——一种将所有人都视为社会的一份子，而非孤立个人的民族精神；
——一种将人与人的基本社会关系建立在普遍伦理价值之上的民族精神，这些价值观不取决于普遍的自私自利。
在新的全球秩序的框架中，我们应注意儒教一直以来所强调的东西：民族精神先于经济和政治，伦理个体先于一切制度。中国和世界需要：
——一种将人类引向道德职责与社会责任的经济秩序，虽然也认可合理地追求利益；
——一种根本上由推己及人的原则而非更强大的武力决定的政治秩序；
——一种人与自然及自然规律的和谐，这种和谐将经济与生态联系起来；
——一种对现实的诠释，其仍为超验维度的天之浩瀚留有余地。
亲爱的朋友们，请允许我用我曾在电视系列片《寻道》（Tracing the Way）中所说的话作结，当时我站立在长城前。从秦始皇一统中国并建立起长城以来，两千两百年过去了。中国的长城不再保卫人民。但中国的长城也不再分裂人民。同样，中国人民不想再固步自封，而是乐于开放：他们想加入这个世界，参与塑造人类的未来。对此，中国的伟大人文传统将有所帮助：人道感、相互依存感与和谐感（H. Küng，《寻道》，London/New York 2002，页130）。