SECULAR ETHICS: UNDERSTANDING CHINA’S SOCIALIST ETHICS

Authors

  • Roderick O’Brien

Keywords:

Communism, Corruption, Ethics education, Socialism

Abstract

Catholic ethicists and theologians do not live in a closed world where the only ethical systems are Catholic or even religious. There are many secular ethical systems, and one of these is China’s Socialist Ethics. This article briefly introduces China’s socialist ethics, including the historical context, and some significant features. Five elements of the system are provided for readers, as well as some examples of promotion of the system through ethics education. The article also addresses the relationship of China’s modern socialist ethics with China’s rich ethical tradition (including such well-known instances as Confucianism). The article introduces significant problems facing the development of China’s socialist ethics. The article concludes with the observation that China’s socialist ethics is not static, but is a work in progress, and is well worth the attention of religious ethicists in India and beyond.

Author Biography

Roderick O’Brien

Fr Roderick O’Brien is a diocesan priest. He is pastor of St Augustine’s parish in the Archdiocese of Adelaide, Australia. His ecclesiastical training was at St Paul’s National Seminary, Sydney; and he also holds a Master’s degree in Comparative Asian Studies from the University of Hong Kong, and a Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of South Australia.

References

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Published

2015-09-30

How to Cite

O’Brien, R. (2015). SECULAR ETHICS: UNDERSTANDING CHINA’S SOCIALIST ETHICS. Asian Horizons, 9(03), 573–587. Retrieved from https://dvkjournals.in/index.php/ah/article/view/2820

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