Abstract: Since the modern times, there have been two opposite doctrines of relationship between Confucianism and liberty some claim that Confucianism is hositle to liberty while others believe that Confucianism admits the value of liberty. By examining (these) two doctrines of the relationship between Confucianism and liberty and re-interpreting Confucian humanity (ren) from the perspective of "emotion-responsibility", this paper reveals that Confucian humanity and liberal rights are independent values and they cannot be replaced by each other. Both for Confucianism and our society, it is a desirable intellectual career to further elaborate on the spirit of humanity not only at present but also in the future.

Key words: Confucianism, liberty, humanity(ren)