1. Li Zhi, Fenshu 焚書, Lunzheng 論政篇, 3: 87. This chapter was developed from reflections on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which has been adopted by the United Nations in September 2015 and officially launched on January 1, 2016. The process of fast globalization of the last few decades has brought about great changes, such as the redistribution of wealth among different social strata and regions, mass migration, reorganization of local economies, and various other international engagements which are affecting all parts of the world. Human beings are not always ready to cope with these changes, and feelings of insecurity and fear of the new become sources of instability and tension. Rising tides of racism, religious fundamentalism, and nationalism may then pave the way for severe regressive reactions. There is no ready solution to address such transformations at the local level and within single states. It is clear that nation-states are not able to manage them unless they strengthen international cooperation and increase the sense of collective responsibility. Confucianism, in its various forms and schools of thought, has a very long tradition in dealing with social affairs: the emphasis on harmony, meditation, and learning is one of its most important characteristics. The contribution of Confucianism toward sustainable human development may help achieve a shared common morality in a progressive situation of métissage culturel that respects local cultures, traditions, and ways of thinking, as well as individual hopes and wishes. The world, including China, is changing. It is thanks to its continuous flexibility and adaptation to local and external transformations that Chinese culture has experienced a centuries-long continuity and has managed to remain lively notwithstanding its ancient roots. This can also be said for Confucianism, which explored brilliant ideas such as how to elevate the value of the individual through self-cultivation.

2. For two examples on privacy (si 私) and freedom (ziyou 自由) where bilingualism becomes biculturality, see Philip Huang, “Biculturality in Modern China and in Chinese Studies,” 4–7. On questions concerning the concept of self, see 55n19 in chapter 3 of this volume.

3. From a philosophical point of view, there are different accounts of the relation between autonomous agent and motivations. According to the coherentists, the agent is autonomous if motivated to act in coherence