Professor Tommy Koh is the Executive Director of Asia-Europe Foundation. He presented a paper at the Second Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights held in Beijing yesterday. The following are excerpts from his paper entitled, “Differences in Asian and European values”。
There is no consensus among Asian intellectuals and scholars on whether there is such a thing as “Asian values”。
Some Asians believe that there are good values and bad values but no such thing as Asian values.
Those who hold this view therefore believe that values are universal in character.
Some other Asians believe that because Asia is so big and heterogeneous there is no set of values which are shared by all Asians.
Those who hold this view may, however, contend that some countries in Asia, for example, the Confucianist societies, do share a common set of values. I belong to the third school.
I believe that in spite of its heterogeneity, Asians who live in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, do share certain personal and societal values.
I believe there is such a thing as Asian values just as there are American values and ideals and European values and ideals.
I have been puzzled by the fact that many American and European intellectuals have reacted so negatively to Asian values. For example, the former Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, devoted a chapter in his book,“ East and West”, to debunking Asian values.
Asians do not react negatively when Americans talk about their belief in American values and ideals and Europeans in theirs. Why does the West react in such a negative way when Asians profess their belief in Asian values？ I think there are three possible reasons.
First, I believe that the West has not yet come to accept Asia as an equal. The West has dominated Asia for the major part of the past two hundred years.
Most people in the West, including its intellectuals, still regard Asia and Asians as inferior.
One Western intellectual contended, in an op-ed essay in the International Herald Tribune, that East Asia did not represent any positive values. This old mindset has not changed.
Second, I suspect that the West cannot accept the concept of Asian values because the latter could pose a challenge to Western intellectual hegemony.
The truth is that we still live in a world which is economically, culturally, intellectually and morally dominated by the West.
Of all the regions of the non-Western world, only East Asia has the potential to achieve parity with the West. By 1995, the ten major economies of East Asia were, collectively, as large as the United States （25% of the world economy） and only slightly smaller than the European Union （29%）。
East Asia is also the home of some of the world's oldest and richest civilizations. Therefore, East Asia has the potential to challenge Western domination in the economic, cultural, intellectual and moral spheres, in the 21st Century.
Third, some of East Asia's political leaders have given Asian Values a bad name by seeking to justify their abuses of power and the inequities of their societies in the name of Asian values .
For example, corruption, collusion and nepotism should be condemned by all Asians. They have nothing to do with Asian values. To put it more accurately, they have everything to do with bad Asian values but nothing to do with good Asian values.
This leads me to my point that it is essential to distinguish between good Asian values and bad Asian values. Not all Asian values are good values just as not all Western values are good values. There are good Asian values and bad Asian values, just as there are good Western values and bad Western values.
Very little empirical work has been done to ascertain what personal and societal values East Asians hold in common. One of the few researchers who have tried to do so is an American, David Hitchcock, of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.
In 1994, he interviewed over 100 persons in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo. The persons interviewed were think-tank experts, officials, businessmen and women, journalists, cultural and religious leaders. What were the principal conclusions of Hitchcock's survey？
Hitchcock found a surprising degree of congruence between the personal and societal values of Northeast Asians and Southeast Asians.
On personal values, Asians from the two sub-regions gave equal emphasis to the importance of hard work, respect for learning, honesty, self-reliance, self-discipline and the fulfilment of obligations.
On societal values, the respondents agreed on the importance of orderly society, harmony, respect for authority, official accountability and consensus.
西方何以排斥亞洲價值觀？
亞歐基金總干事許通美教授于昨日在北京舉行的第二屆亞歐基金非正式人權(quán)研討會上,以《亞洲與歐洲價值觀之間的不同》為題,發(fā)表專題論文。本文是論文第一部分的摘要。
亞洲的知識分子和學(xué)者針對“亞洲價值觀”是否存在的課題,并沒有達(dá)到共識。有些亞洲人認(rèn)為,確實有好的價值觀和壞的價值觀,但沒有所謂的亞洲價值觀。
持有這種看法的人因此認(rèn)為,價值觀是全人類共同享有的。
另一些亞洲人認(rèn)為亞洲是如此般的大和多元化,一套能引起所有亞洲人共鳴的價值觀是不存在的。
然而,持有這種看法的人或許會接受亞洲一些國家（譬如奉行儒家思想的社會）享有共同價值觀的事實。
我個人偏向第三種看法。我認(rèn)為亞洲雖是多元化的地區(qū),居住在東北亞和東南亞的亞洲人確實共同分享一些個人的和社會的價值觀。
我認(rèn)為亞洲價值觀是存在的,正如世界上存在著美國價值觀和美國理想以及歐洲價值觀和歐洲理想。
許多美國和歐洲知識分子對亞洲價值觀非常排斥,我對此感到困惑。譬如,前香港總督彭定康在其著作《東方與西方》內(nèi),利用了一整章的篇幅來批駁亞洲價值觀。
當(dāng)美國人提到他們的美國價值觀和美國理想的時候,或歐洲人提及歐洲價值觀和歐洲理想時,亞洲人并不會作出負(fù)面的反應(yīng)。但當(dāng)亞洲人提出他們本身對亞洲價值觀的認(rèn)同時,為何西方會有如此負(fù)面的反應(yīng)？我想有三個可能性。
第一、我認(rèn)為西方還未能接受亞洲和它地位相等。在過去200年的大部分時間,西方一直支配著亞洲。
多數(shù)的西方人,包括西方知識分子,還是把亞洲和亞洲人視為較低等。
一位西方知識分子在《國際先驅(qū)論壇報》發(fā)表的一篇文章聲稱,東亞并不代表任何正面的價值觀。這個舊的思想意識還未改變。
第二、我懷疑西方之所以不能接受亞洲價值觀,是因為后者很可能正面挑戰(zhàn)西方的知識霸權(quán)。
我們確實是生活在一個經(jīng)濟(jì)上、文化上、知識上及道德上均由西方支配的世界。
在所有非西方的地區(qū)中,只有東亞才有這個潛能和西方平起平坐。到了1995年,東亞的十大經(jīng)濟(jì)體加起來已能媲美美國經(jīng)濟(jì)（世界經(jīng)濟(jì)的25%）,而比歐洲經(jīng)濟(jì)（29%）稍為小些。
東亞也擁有世界上一些古老和豐富的文明。因此,東亞有這個潛能,于21世紀(jì)挑戰(zhàn)西方在經(jīng)濟(jì)上、文化上、知識上及道德上的支配地位。
第三、東亞一些政治領(lǐng)袖利用亞洲價值觀之名來解釋個人的濫權(quán)和社會的不公正,使到亞洲價值觀遭貶低。
譬如,所有的亞洲人都應(yīng)該譴責(zé)貪污、勾結(jié)和搞裙帶關(guān)系。這些和亞洲價值觀無關(guān)。更準(zhǔn)確的說法是,它們和壞的亞洲價值觀有關(guān),但卻和好的亞洲價值觀無關(guān)。
我們必須分辨什么是好的亞洲價值觀,什么是壞的亞洲價值觀。
不是所有的亞洲價值觀都是好的價值觀,正如不是所有的西方價值觀都是好的價值觀一樣。亞洲價值觀有好有壞,正如西方價值觀也有好有壞。
確認(rèn)東亞人所認(rèn)同的個人和社會價值觀的實證研究做得很少。其中一名從事該項研究的學(xué)者是美國人——華盛頓策略和國際研究中心的大衛(wèi)。希治閣。
1994年,他在新加坡、吉隆坡、雅加達(dá)、曼谷、上海、北京、漢城和東京對100多個人進(jìn)行了訪問。這些受訪的人包括智囊團(tuán)專家、政府官員、商人、新聞從業(yè)者、文化領(lǐng)袖和宗教領(lǐng)袖。希治閣的調(diào)查有什么主要的結(jié)論呢？
希治閣意外地發(fā)現(xiàn)東北亞洲人和東南亞州人在個人和社會價值觀方面,有相當(dāng)大的共同點。
在個人價值觀方面,來自這兩個地區(qū)的亞洲人都同樣注重勤奮、教育、誠實、自力更生、自律和履行義務(wù)。
在社會價值觀方面,受訪人士都注重社會的秩序、和諧、對權(quán)威的尊敬、政府對人民負(fù)責(zé)、和共識。
There is no consensus among Asian intellectuals and scholars on whether there is such a thing as “Asian values”。
Some Asians believe that there are good values and bad values but no such thing as Asian values.
Those who hold this view therefore believe that values are universal in character.
Some other Asians believe that because Asia is so big and heterogeneous there is no set of values which are shared by all Asians.
Those who hold this view may, however, contend that some countries in Asia, for example, the Confucianist societies, do share a common set of values. I belong to the third school.
I believe that in spite of its heterogeneity, Asians who live in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, do share certain personal and societal values.
I believe there is such a thing as Asian values just as there are American values and ideals and European values and ideals.
I have been puzzled by the fact that many American and European intellectuals have reacted so negatively to Asian values. For example, the former Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, devoted a chapter in his book,“ East and West”, to debunking Asian values.
Asians do not react negatively when Americans talk about their belief in American values and ideals and Europeans in theirs. Why does the West react in such a negative way when Asians profess their belief in Asian values？ I think there are three possible reasons.
First, I believe that the West has not yet come to accept Asia as an equal. The West has dominated Asia for the major part of the past two hundred years.
Most people in the West, including its intellectuals, still regard Asia and Asians as inferior.
One Western intellectual contended, in an op-ed essay in the International Herald Tribune, that East Asia did not represent any positive values. This old mindset has not changed.
Second, I suspect that the West cannot accept the concept of Asian values because the latter could pose a challenge to Western intellectual hegemony.
The truth is that we still live in a world which is economically, culturally, intellectually and morally dominated by the West.
Of all the regions of the non-Western world, only East Asia has the potential to achieve parity with the West. By 1995, the ten major economies of East Asia were, collectively, as large as the United States （25% of the world economy） and only slightly smaller than the European Union （29%）。
East Asia is also the home of some of the world's oldest and richest civilizations. Therefore, East Asia has the potential to challenge Western domination in the economic, cultural, intellectual and moral spheres, in the 21st Century.
Third, some of East Asia's political leaders have given Asian Values a bad name by seeking to justify their abuses of power and the inequities of their societies in the name of Asian values .
For example, corruption, collusion and nepotism should be condemned by all Asians. They have nothing to do with Asian values. To put it more accurately, they have everything to do with bad Asian values but nothing to do with good Asian values.
This leads me to my point that it is essential to distinguish between good Asian values and bad Asian values. Not all Asian values are good values just as not all Western values are good values. There are good Asian values and bad Asian values, just as there are good Western values and bad Western values.
Very little empirical work has been done to ascertain what personal and societal values East Asians hold in common. One of the few researchers who have tried to do so is an American, David Hitchcock, of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.
In 1994, he interviewed over 100 persons in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo. The persons interviewed were think-tank experts, officials, businessmen and women, journalists, cultural and religious leaders. What were the principal conclusions of Hitchcock's survey？
Hitchcock found a surprising degree of congruence between the personal and societal values of Northeast Asians and Southeast Asians.
On personal values, Asians from the two sub-regions gave equal emphasis to the importance of hard work, respect for learning, honesty, self-reliance, self-discipline and the fulfilment of obligations.
On societal values, the respondents agreed on the importance of orderly society, harmony, respect for authority, official accountability and consensus.
西方何以排斥亞洲價值觀？
亞歐基金總干事許通美教授于昨日在北京舉行的第二屆亞歐基金非正式人權(quán)研討會上,以《亞洲與歐洲價值觀之間的不同》為題,發(fā)表專題論文。本文是論文第一部分的摘要。
亞洲的知識分子和學(xué)者針對“亞洲價值觀”是否存在的課題,并沒有達(dá)到共識。有些亞洲人認(rèn)為,確實有好的價值觀和壞的價值觀,但沒有所謂的亞洲價值觀。
持有這種看法的人因此認(rèn)為,價值觀是全人類共同享有的。
另一些亞洲人認(rèn)為亞洲是如此般的大和多元化,一套能引起所有亞洲人共鳴的價值觀是不存在的。
然而,持有這種看法的人或許會接受亞洲一些國家（譬如奉行儒家思想的社會）享有共同價值觀的事實。
我個人偏向第三種看法。我認(rèn)為亞洲雖是多元化的地區(qū),居住在東北亞和東南亞的亞洲人確實共同分享一些個人的和社會的價值觀。
我認(rèn)為亞洲價值觀是存在的,正如世界上存在著美國價值觀和美國理想以及歐洲價值觀和歐洲理想。
許多美國和歐洲知識分子對亞洲價值觀非常排斥,我對此感到困惑。譬如,前香港總督彭定康在其著作《東方與西方》內(nèi),利用了一整章的篇幅來批駁亞洲價值觀。
當(dāng)美國人提到他們的美國價值觀和美國理想的時候,或歐洲人提及歐洲價值觀和歐洲理想時,亞洲人并不會作出負(fù)面的反應(yīng)。但當(dāng)亞洲人提出他們本身對亞洲價值觀的認(rèn)同時,為何西方會有如此負(fù)面的反應(yīng)？我想有三個可能性。
第一、我認(rèn)為西方還未能接受亞洲和它地位相等。在過去200年的大部分時間,西方一直支配著亞洲。
多數(shù)的西方人,包括西方知識分子,還是把亞洲和亞洲人視為較低等。
一位西方知識分子在《國際先驅(qū)論壇報》發(fā)表的一篇文章聲稱,東亞并不代表任何正面的價值觀。這個舊的思想意識還未改變。
第二、我懷疑西方之所以不能接受亞洲價值觀,是因為后者很可能正面挑戰(zhàn)西方的知識霸權(quán)。
我們確實是生活在一個經(jīng)濟(jì)上、文化上、知識上及道德上均由西方支配的世界。
在所有非西方的地區(qū)中,只有東亞才有這個潛能和西方平起平坐。到了1995年,東亞的十大經(jīng)濟(jì)體加起來已能媲美美國經(jīng)濟(jì)（世界經(jīng)濟(jì)的25%）,而比歐洲經(jīng)濟(jì)（29%）稍為小些。
東亞也擁有世界上一些古老和豐富的文明。因此,東亞有這個潛能,于21世紀(jì)挑戰(zhàn)西方在經(jīng)濟(jì)上、文化上、知識上及道德上的支配地位。
第三、東亞一些政治領(lǐng)袖利用亞洲價值觀之名來解釋個人的濫權(quán)和社會的不公正,使到亞洲價值觀遭貶低。
譬如,所有的亞洲人都應(yīng)該譴責(zé)貪污、勾結(jié)和搞裙帶關(guān)系。這些和亞洲價值觀無關(guān)。更準(zhǔn)確的說法是,它們和壞的亞洲價值觀有關(guān),但卻和好的亞洲價值觀無關(guān)。
我們必須分辨什么是好的亞洲價值觀,什么是壞的亞洲價值觀。
不是所有的亞洲價值觀都是好的價值觀,正如不是所有的西方價值觀都是好的價值觀一樣。亞洲價值觀有好有壞,正如西方價值觀也有好有壞。
確認(rèn)東亞人所認(rèn)同的個人和社會價值觀的實證研究做得很少。其中一名從事該項研究的學(xué)者是美國人——華盛頓策略和國際研究中心的大衛(wèi)。希治閣。
1994年,他在新加坡、吉隆坡、雅加達(dá)、曼谷、上海、北京、漢城和東京對100多個人進(jìn)行了訪問。這些受訪的人包括智囊團(tuán)專家、政府官員、商人、新聞從業(yè)者、文化領(lǐng)袖和宗教領(lǐng)袖。希治閣的調(diào)查有什么主要的結(jié)論呢？
希治閣意外地發(fā)現(xiàn)東北亞洲人和東南亞州人在個人和社會價值觀方面,有相當(dāng)大的共同點。
在個人價值觀方面,來自這兩個地區(qū)的亞洲人都同樣注重勤奮、教育、誠實、自力更生、自律和履行義務(wù)。
在社會價值觀方面,受訪人士都注重社會的秩序、和諧、對權(quán)威的尊敬、政府對人民負(fù)責(zé)、和共識。