Act Bravely for a Just Cause

This notion originated in The Analects of Confucius. "To see what is right and not to do it shows a lack of courage," goes the full quote. It stresses that a person should act courageously to do what is righteous. It is also considered a traditional Chinese virtue.

Yi (righteousness) is one of the five core values of traditional Chinese culture alongside benevolence, propriety, wisdom, and good faith. It essentially means "reasonable" and "proper," but was expanded to mean righteousness. The criteria for being righteous are generally accepted moral principles and social norms, which are used to regulate individual behaviors and serve as spiritual guidance. The mainstream values of ancient China demarcated a line between Yi (righteousness) and Li (gain). The essence is a reasonable distinction between the greater good and personal gain. In every society, some public interest must transcend special personal interests, which forms the foundation of the social community. Therefore, it becomes necessary to use moral codes to advocate for the public good among members of the society, sometimes at the expense of personal gain. Righteousness inspires bravery. Through the ages, countless Chinese people with lofty ideals sacrificed themselves for the greater good, whether it was to safeguard national unity or social stability, thus igniting historical progress. In contemporary China, the notion has become a main-stream value and consensus virtue in society.

見義勇為

見義勇為出自《論語·為政》，原文是“見義不為，無勇也”。孔子認為，見到正義的事情如果不去做，是沒有勇敢之德的表現。由此演化出成語“見義勇為”，強調見到正義的事情就要勇敢地去做，這是中華民族的一項傳統美德。

“義”是中國傳統的五種核心價值（仁、義、禮、智、信）之一，其基本含義是合宜，引申為正義。“義”的標準是普遍公認的道德原則和社會規范，是對個人行為、思想的規范和引導。中國古代主流價值觀有“義利之辨”，其實質就是對公益和私利的合理區分。任何一個社會都有超越于特殊個體利益之上的公共利益，這是維系社會共同體存在的基礎，因此需要有相應的道德規范提倡、引導社會成員關心公益，甚至在某些情況下放棄個人私利。“勇”則是由“義” 激發出的道德勇氣。古往今來，中國無數仁人志士為了國家、社會和他人利益而勇敢地奉獻出自己的一切甚至生命，維護了國家統一、社會穩定，推動了歷史的發展。在當代中國，見義勇為是全社會大力提倡的主流價值觀念和優秀品德。