Could a person who knows only Confucius' "Do not do to others what you do not wish others to do to you" be a judge ? Could he dispense justice ?
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Public officials in China in the past were selected by public examination, and they were tested on their knowledge of Confucius.

After that, they were sent to all provinces of China to rule. They had to be judge to settle disputes, and without the Roman's type of law, they judged according to Confucius teachings.

Their work was heavy, Isabella wrote in her book 'The Yangtze Valley and beyond (1899)' -- "It is said truly that on the Hsein or Fu magistrate the work of at least six men devolves. He is at once tax commissioner, civil and criminal judge, coroner, treasurer, sheriff, and much besides, and he is supposed to have an exhaustive knowledge of everything within his bounds."

I wish to pose some questions :

Could they dispense justice ?

Compare with the judges today, who are trained the British way, who do you think can administer justice better ?

What are the good/bad points of the old Chinese judicial system ? What are the good/bad points of the present 'British style' judicial system ?

Could a "marriage" of two systems be possible, to produce a system which is a "hybrid" of the old Chinese system and the British system ?


Wu Siu Yan

P.S.

Isabella's various comments on China,
taken from her book, "The Yangtze Valley and beyond (1899) - author 'Isabella Bird' "


"The human product of Chinese civilization, religion, and government is to me the greattest of all enigmas, ... , sober, industrious, thrifty, orderly, peaceable, indifferent to personal comfort, possessing great physical vitality, cheerful, contented, persevering - his filial piety, tenacity, resourcefulness, power of combination, and respect for law and order, ...


".... but it is needless to run through the established formula of their vices. Among the things which they lack are CONSCIENCE, and such an enlightened public opinion as shall SUSTAIN RIGHT AND CONDEMN WRONG.


"Shanghai, ... , is a splendid example of what British energy, wealth, and organizing power can establish ....


"Truly the "Great Teacher" was one of the greattest of men, for he has cast into a mould of iron for two thousand years the thought, social order, literature, government, and education of 400,000,000 of our race.


"It is easy to laugh at an education which for boys of all ranks consists solely in the knowledge of the ancient Chinese classics, and there is no doubt that it stunts individuality, belittles genius, fosters conceit, and produces incredible grooviness ....


"But on the other hand, there is no education, unless it might be one strictly Biblical, which furnishes the memory with so much wisdom for common life, and so many noble moral maxims. Whatever of righteousness, virtuous domestic life, filial virtue, charity, propriety - and just dealing exists among the Chinese, and they do exist - is owed to the permeation of the whole race by the teaching of the classic. ...


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Analect of Confucius

http://www.isop.ucla.edu/eas/documents/lunyuCh1.htm (English)
http://zhongwen.com/lunyu.htm (Chinese)
http://www.qiuy.com/gdworks/xq/xq-ly.htm (Simplified Chinese)

Hymn loved by Chinese Christians
http://balder.prohosting.com/sywu/hymn.htm

Teachings of Jesus (Matthew 5,6,7)
http://balder.prohosting.com/sywu/jesus.htm