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On Responsibility in China: Understanding and Practice

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  • Xiaohe Lu
  • Daryl Koehn

Abstract

“Responsibility” in Chinese consists of two words: “ze” (责, charge) and “ren” (任, office). In modern Chinese, although the two words “ze” and “ren” are mostly used as one word, people can still discern the close relationship between ze and right and between ren and the duty associated with a position or a power. In modern life, however, there is a serious problem with these historically close, key relationships. This paper raises the crucial question: how should we understand and deal with the separation of freedom from responsibility, right from obligation, and duty from power, particularly within China? The first part of the paper investigates the understanding of responsibility and concepts of duty, obligation, right, and power in the Chinese context. The second part analyzes the key issues of responsibility associated with the expansion of rights and powers in today’s China. The concluding part explores agents’ responsibilities on different levels and offers suggestions on how to cultivate responsibility as part of a systematic moral education. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaohe Lu & Daryl Koehn, 2015. "On Responsibility in China: Understanding and Practice," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 127(3), pages 607-622, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:127:y:2015:i:3:p:607-622
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-014-2063-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Enderle, Georges, 1996. "Towards Business Ethics as an Academic Discipline1," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 6(1), pages 43-65, January.
    2. Xiaohe Lu, 2009. "A Chinese Perspective: Business Ethics in China Now and in the Future," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 86(4), pages 451-461, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Guénola Nonet & Kerul Kassel & Lucas Meijs, 2016. "Understanding Responsible Management: Emerging Themes and Variations from European Business School Programs," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 139(4), pages 717-736, December.
    2. Alejo José G. Sison & Ignacio Ferrero & Dulce M. Redín, 2020. "Some Virtue Ethics Implications from Aristotelian and Confucian Perspectives on Family and Business," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 165(2), pages 241-254, August.
    3. Juelin Yin & Ali Quazi, 2018. "Business Ethics in the Greater China Region: Past, Present, and Future Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 150(3), pages 815-835, July.
    4. Miguel Alzola & Alicia Hennig & Edward Romar, 2020. "Thematic Symposium Editorial: Virtue Ethics Between East and West," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 165(2), pages 177-189, August.

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