ABSTRACT
N o t w i t h s t a n d i n g t h e s t i r r i n g words o f t h e D e c l a r a t i o n o f I n d e p e n - dence a n d d i s t i n g u i s h e d p h i l o s o p h e r s , a l l s t a t e s impose l i m i t s o n i n d i v i d u a l r i g h t s i n t h e name o f p u b l i c i n t e r e s t . I n d e e d , t h e U n i v e r s a l D e c l a r a t i o n o f H u m a n R i g h t s e x p l i c i t l y provides:
I n t h e exercise o f h i s r i g h t s a n d freedoms, everyone s h a l l be s u b j e c t o n l y t o s u c h l i m i t a t i o n s as are d e t e r m i n e d by l a w solely for t h e p u r p o s e o f s e c u r i n g d u e r e c o g n i t i o n a n d r e s p e c t for t h e r i g h t s a n d freedoms o f o t h e r s a n d o f m e e t i n g t h e just requirements o f morality, public order andthe general welfare i n a d e m o c r a t i c society.!l
R h e t o r i c a s i d e , we c o n s t a n t l y p e r f o r m acomplex calculus b y w h i c h t h e r i g h t s o r p r o t e c t e d i n t e r e s t s o f i n d i v i d u a l s a r e w e i g h e d a g a i n s t t h e g o o d o f t h e c o l l e c t i v e ( a n d o t h e r r i g h t s ) . Reasonable p e o p l e d i f f e r as t o t h e p r o p e r balance t o effect; t h a t diverse c u l t u r e s w o u l d reach d i f f e r e n t conclusions is o n l y n a t u r a l . 1 0 E x a m i n i n g t h e c r i t i c i s m s C h i n a ' s h u m a n r i g h t s record raises t h r e e
r e l a t e d q u e s t i o n s . A r e c r i t i c s c a l l i n g for anew k i n d C h i n e s e r i g h t - a b s o l u t e , i n a l i e n a b l e , a h i s t o r i c a l , h u m a n c u m n a t u r a l r i g h t s - - o r s i m - p l y ad i f f e r e n t calculus w h e r e t h e r i g h t s o f i n d i v i d u a l s are n o t so readily t r a d e d o f f t o p r o m o t e t h e "collective good"? Similarly, does t h e p r o b l e m l i e i n t h e o u t c o m e o f t h e calculus o r i n
t h e m a n n e r i n w h i c h t h e calculus is made? W h i l e t h e T i a n a n m e n massacre shocks t h e conscience, t h e m o r e basic p r o b l e m m a y b e how t h e t r a g i c decisions t h a t c u l m i n a t e d i n t a n k s r o l l i n g t h r o u g h t h e s t r e e t s o f B e i j i n g were reached: t h a t is, v i a a n a u t h o r i t a r i a n o n e - p a r t y s y s t e m r a t h e r t h a n ad e m o c r a t i c process. Finally, i t is n o t so m u c h t h e how o f t h e calculus b u t t h e who.
