| The purpose of this Thesis is to demonstrate that some mutual misunderstandings exist between Americans and Chinese with respect to one another's views on human rights. Within the context of contemporary discussions on human rights, misunderstandings emerge in the form of categorical claims about the other's human rights views along the following comparative axes: universalism vs. relativism; individualism vs. collectivism; civil and political rights vs. economic, social, and cultural rights; rights held against vs. those enjoyed through the state; and interventionism vs. sovereignty. In relation to these axes, it is common for the Chinese to view the former human rights categories as typifying American rights perspectives. Conversely, Americans tend to view the latter rights categories as indicative of Chinese rights perspectives. However, an examination of both the theoretical and practical sources of American and Chinese rights perspectives suggests that both views are, at best, caricatures of actual perspectives. A more accurate depiction of Chinese and American rights perspectives would entail conceptualizing these perspectives as a diverse plurality of points along various axes of human rights continuums rather than as mutually exclusive categories. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
