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.
见义勇为
见义勇为出自《论语·为政》，原文是“见义不为，无勇也”。孔子认为，见到正义的事情如果不去做，是没有勇敢之德的表现。由此演化出成语“见义勇为”，强调见到正义的事情就要勇敢地去做，这是中华民族的一项传统美德。
“义”是中国传统的五种核心价值（仁、义、礼、智、信）之一，其基本含义是合宜，引申为正义。“义”的标准是普遍公认的道德原则和社会规范，是对个人行为、思想的规范和引导。中国古代主流价值观有“义利之辨”，其实质就是对公益和私利的合理区分。任何一个社会都有超越于特殊个体利益之上的公共利益，这是维系社会共同体存在的基础，因此需要有相应的道德规范提倡、引导社会成员关心公益，甚至在某些情况下放弃个人私利。“勇”则是由“义” 激发出的道德勇气。古往今来，中国无数仁人志士为了国家、社会和他人利益而勇敢地奉献出自己的一切甚至生命，维护了国家统一、社会稳定，推动了历史的发展。在当代中国，见义勇为是全社会大力提倡的主流价值观念和优秀品德。
