ABSTRACT
Moral problems are posed, debated, and solved solely by means of a quasi-legal term, "rights." Rights are such a dominant moral currency in our time that not only problems between one human and another human but problems between human and nonhuman subjects are also treated in terms of rights. In contrast to a liberal, rights-based morality, Confucianism provides a radically different picture of morality. Being a morality based on virtue, what Confucianism takes seriously is not rightful claims or self-assertions, but the virtues of caring and benevolence. Unlike the liberal priority of the right over the good, Confucianism gives priority to becoming a good person over being a right-claimer. Confucianism regards self-assertion as inimical to the maintenance £ of social harmony. Confucians emphasize the primacy of virtues over rights, the primacy of substantial justice over procedural justice, and the primacy of the common good over rational self-interest.
