This article explores a Confucian perspective on human rights education (HRE) and global citizenship education (GCE). In dialogue with Western liberal and communitarian traditions of human rights and the common good, it examines Confucian conceptions of the relational self and social harmony, sustained through moral self-cultivation and ethical responsibilities within concentric circles of community. The study demonstrates how Confucian ethics can offer a non-Western framework for balancing individual empowerment with community well-being. A case study of a high school in China illustrates the practical application of these values, emphasising the cultivation of self-reflection, moral development and critical thinking among students, despite structural constraints within the education system. The study contributes to global conversations on HRE and GCE by showing how East Asian philosophical traditions can enrich understandings of human dignity and civic responsibility in an interconnected world.
Lipei Wang (Mon,) studied this question.