Editor's Note:The academic community once discussed the positive relationship between Confucian cul-ture and the economic miracle of East Asia,but it is quite strange that countries in the Confucian cultural cir-cle,which advocate the virtue of birth and the blessings of having many children,have fallen into a predica-ment of low fertility rates.Can Confucian tradition still promote fertility in contemporary society?Fertility de-sire is closely related to factors such as childbirth policies,economic level,education level,welfare protec-tion,and maternal employment situation,but in a sense,values also play an important role.In an era where childbirth is increasingly shifting from a human duty to a personal choice,whether to give birth or not has in-deed become a question.The discussion on"Activating the Confucian Vitality"of this issue of New Horizons from Tianfu focuses on the theme of childbirth,elaborating on the traditional Confucian concept of childbirth and bioethics,recon-structing the Confucian metaphysics of childbirth,and exploring the possible contribution of Confucianism to boosting people's fertility desire.Professor Fan Ruiping believes that whether Confucian culture can still pro-mote childbirth depends first and foremost on whether contemporary Confucianism can tell both reasonable and attractive stories about childbirth.This requires both academic efforts from scholars and beneficial etiquette practices,as well as corresponding adjustments,tolerance,and support from national policies.Professor Chen Lisheng believes that in Confucian philosophy of life,childbirth is a sacred responsibility with metaphysical status.However,in the"post responsibility era",childbirth is only an individual right.Only by making child-birth a part of a happy life can more people consciously exercise their right to childbirth.Professor He Renfu believes that the decline in childbirth intentions caused by values is a deeper problem that is not easy to over-come.From the perspective of Confucian life and death studies,examining the value of childbirth in the pur-suit of a happy ending,a sense of connection between life and death,and a fair recognition of the value of childbirth beyond death can provide a value dimension for childbirth intentions.The discussion is arranged in order according to the theme,and the authors are not ranked in any particular order.
Confucianchildbirthmetaphysicsresponsibilityright
范瑞平、陈立胜、何仁富
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香港城市大学公共及国际事务学系
中山大学哲学系 广东广州 510275
澳门大学哲学与宗教学系
浙江传媒学院马克思主义学院 浙江杭州 310018
宜宾学院四川思想家研究中心
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Confucian childbirth metaphysics responsibility right
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