Abstract
This article is the first exploration of the Chinese notion of apology from a comparative legal perspective. By reviewing the significance of apology in the context of Chinese culture, the article presents a three-dimensional structure of apology that, in contrast to the understanding the research community now has, defines acknowledgement of fault, admission of responsibility, and offer of reparation as three essential elements of an apology. It is the combination of these three elements that enables apology to serve as a form of reparation. The article further places the three-dimensional apology in the context of the Chinese concept of “the relations of humanity,” arguing that an apology accompanying admission of fault and responsibility may help to restore the harmony of relations and, by so doing, resolve medical disputes positively.
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Notes
The term “avowal” is understood here in the sense of Foucault’s definition of avowal as “something more than a simple declaration.” “What separates an avowal from a declaration,” said Foucault, “is not what separates the unknown from the known, the visible from the invisible, but what might be referred to as a certain cost of enunciation. … One who avows a crime, in a sense, commits to being the author of the crime. By that I mean he not only accepts the responsibility, but he also establishes this acceptance on the fact that he did commit the crime. In an avowal, he who speaks obligates himself to being what he says he is” (Foucault 2014, 15–16).
“Repenting Edict” (zui ji zhao) was an imperial proclamation by which the emperor publicly apologized to the whole nation about his past policy mistakes. The two well-known examples are the Repenting Edict of Luntai issued by the Emperor Wu of Han in 89 BCE and the Repenting Edict issued by the Emperor Chongzhen in 1644.
In the Book of Mencius, Mencius (372–289 BCE) said: “This was a subject of anxious solicitude to the sage Shun, and he appointed Seě to be the minister of instruction, to teach the relations of humanity: how, between father and son, there should be affection; between sovereign and minister, righteousness; between husband and wife, attention to their separate functions; between old and young, a proper order; and between friends, fidelity” (Legge 1932, 630–631).
The imperial examination was a civil service examination system in Imperial China through which government officials were selected and appointed to different levels of bureaucracy. The system was established in 605 CE and officially abolished in 1905.
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Cases A
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Cases B
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Acknowledgments
My entrance into the field of apology law was inspired by Professor Prue Vines. Without such an inspiration, this article and a corresponding chapter in my Ph.D. thesis likely would not exist. I also would like to express my gratitude to Bill Madden, Professor Robyn Carroll, and Professor Barbara McDonald for their guidance, encouragement, and hearty support.
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Lin, N. The Restorative Role of Apology in Resolving Medical Disputes: Lessons From Chinese Legal Culture. Bioethical Inquiry 12, 699–708 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-015-9657-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-015-9657-1