On the morning of October 13, 2025, an academic lecture jointly hosted by the School of Marxism, the Regional Collaborative Innovation Center for Ideological and Political Theory Courses in Guangdong Province (Shenzhen University), and the “Fu Heming Distinguished Teacher Studio” was successfully held in Room 1600 of Huiwen Building at Shenzhen University. Professor Deng Anqing, a renowned scholar of the Ministry of Education and Senior Professor of Humanities at Fudan University, delivered an insightful lecture titled “What Is Global Ethics?” The event was chaired by Professor Fu Heming of the School of Marxism and attended by faculty and students.

Professor Deng began his lecture by addressing the normative challenges facing contemporary global governance. He pointed out that amid the deep crisis of global governance—marked by rising deglobalization and geopolitical tensions—the postwar liberal international order is undergoing dual erosion in both legitimacy and social purpose. Existing normative frameworks, he argued, are increasingly inadequate for coping with current global challenges.

He then elaborated on the topic from three main dimensions.

I. Revisiting and Critiquing the Early Concept of “Global Ethics”

Professor Deng first reviewed and critiqued the “global ethics” initiative proposed three decades ago by Hans Küng and others. Although the Declaration Toward a Global Ethic sought to establish a universal moral standard emphasizing shared values and common moral foundations, Deng noted that it faced multiple obstacles—civilizational diversity, religious plurality, and the principle of sovereignty.

As globalization has given rise to geopolitical retrenchment and value fragmentation, a global ethic rooted in Western modernity has struggled to engage with non-Western moral traditions and contemporary practices. Its theoretical inadequacy lies in attempting to impose a single normative model upon plural civilizations, while its practical ineffectiveness is evidenced by ongoing governance failures and cultural conflicts—revealing the limitations of traditional universalist ethics in the current world order.

II. A Theoretical Shift Toward “Plural Ethics”

Deng then proposed a crucial theoretical turn—from pursuing a singular, universal ethic to exploring “plural ethics” (or “multiple ethics”) inherent in the mechanisms of global coexistence that acknowledge civilizational diversity. This shift, he emphasized, is not a rejection of universality but rather an effort to ground it in cross-cultural dialogue and ethical practice.

In this framework, global norms emerge from the symbiotic wisdom and coordination mechanisms found within diverse civilizations. Plural ethics do not seek a one-size-fits-all moral formula; instead, they aim to build platforms for dialogue and cooperation among varied ethical traditions. Such an approach, Deng argued, provides an ethical foundation for a decentralized, non-coercive, and pluralistic global order.

This paradigm aspires to transcend the myth of universalist ethics and to offer new institutional possibilities and cultural resources for revitalizing global multilateralism amid contemporary crises.

III. Toward a Global Civil Society Based on Shared Responsibility

Finally, Professor Deng emphasized that this ethical transformation aims to foster a “global civil society” centered on human well-being and collective responses to global risks. Facing challenges such as climate change, public health crises, and technological ethics, humanity must—while respecting cultural autonomy—build an ethical consensus based on responsibility and solidarity.

Such consensus does not seek value uniformity but strives to construct actionable coordination mechanisms and cooperative frameworks amid difference. Standing at the crossroads of world history, the reconfiguration of global ethics thus entails seeking common ground amid diversity and building mutual trust amid conflict, guiding human civilization toward a more inclusive, free, and coexistent future.

During the Q&A session, faculty and students engaged with Professor Deng on issues such as ethical pluralism and civilizational conflict and practical pathways for global ethics. Professor Deng offered detailed, scholarly responses to each question.

In his closing remarks, Professor Fu Heming summarized the lecture, noting that it combined both theoretical sophistication and real-world relevance, offering profound insights into rethinking the relationship between ethics and civilization in the context of globalization.

The lecture concluded amid enthusiastic applause. Afterward, Professor Deng warmly interacted with attendees and took commemorative photos with teachers and students.