When Confucius Came to the United Nations

The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, authored by Hans Ingvar Roth, is one of the world’s most famous and widely translated documents.

Eleanor Roosevelt, who chaired the team that drafted it, described it as “a great new charter for mankind” when it was presented to the UN General Assembly in December 1948. Roosevelt’s prediction of its importance has since proven remarkably accurate. In today’s world, no other document holds a comparable position in the international community.

One of its most prominent authors was the Chinese diplomat and philosopher Peng Chun Chang (1892–1957), whose importance has been increasingly recognized in recent years. The qualities attributed to the UN Declaration of Human Rights today also stem from Chang.

Chang was a polymath, a teacher, scholar, administrator, playwright, diplomat, and politician, among other things. Zhang was a truly global figure, playing a pivotal role in cultural mediation between East and West. His eventful life is reflected in his intellectual and political works. This book is the first of its kind to examine Peng Chun Zhang, presenting and analyzing his significance in the United Nations Declaration. Drawing on new information, it sheds light on Zhang’s life and his work with one of the most important documents in world history.

“A comprehensive account of a remarkable human life of immense importance to humanity.” “The book has great merits, and I highly recommend it.” (Gabriel Johnson, in Oriental Studies, No. 149)