Hu Shi Liberalism, Human Rights Concept Study

The theory of human rights ideology has been spread in China for about 100 years. Reviewing its history, several large-scale discussions on human rights had launched by liberal intellectuals during 1920's to 1930's, which meant important theoretical value and had greatly promoted the progress of Chinese human rights theory. As an initiator or active participant, Hu Shi played an important role in these human rights movementThe formation of Hu Shi's concept of liberalism human rights depended on not only domestic political situation, but also bis own understanding of liberalism. Hu Shi's concept of liberalism human rights was affected by Dewey's neo-liberalism theory in three main aspects. The philosophical foundation of Hu Shi's concept of human rights was neo-liberalism ideology, which declared that the government should operate more actively and ensure the society freedom add equality, mean while both the "Sound Individualism" and his own understanding of liberty had been affected by classical liberalism and Chinese traditional culture. The unique structure made up Hu Shi's political ideals, as well as showed his adjustments and compromises to Chinese social realities.Hu Shi's concept of human rights involved freedom of expression and equal rights. Affected by social realities and liberalism theory, his research on human rights was focused mainly on political rights, especially on freedom of expression. He believed that liberty was the premise of human rights protection. He also believed that the freedom of expression and equal rights could not come true without struggle. The spirit of democracy was the important part of liberalism. And its system performance was constitutionalism system, which meant citizens' participation in politics and freedom of expression. The fundamental goal of constitutionalism system was to protect human rights..Hu Shi's concept of liberalist humanrights experienced a process of Human Rights------Freedom of Expression and Thought------Democracy------Constitutionalism.As a representative of liberalist in modern China, Hu Shi's concept of human rights was an inheritance of previous scholars. At the same time it showed great differences in that of other scholars over the same period. The feature of Hu Shi's concept of liberalist human rights...