Asian Values and Human Rights: A Confucian Communitarian Perspective

This work effectivley demonstrates how oppressive Asian nations have attempted to justify their rule using Confucian concepts to argue that western ideas about human rights do not apply to them. The author clearly demonstrates that Confucian principles are not inherently in conflict with western ideas about human rights, despite the cultural differences that do exist between "Western" philosophy and "Eastern" philosophy about the individual and the state. The only weakness in the book is its pretentious style. I mean do you really have to have a sentence that is seven lines long? I don't think that shows intelligence but a desire to appear smarter than you really are.