DOI: 10.4324/9781003310129-9 7.1 Introduction Drawing on Confucian relational ethics, this chapter explores the con- nection between the cultural conditionality of Confucian moral philoso- phies and their possible implications for crisis resolution strategies. The desire to write about this topic arose in me immediately after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As I write these lines, the pandemic has not yet been fully brought under control. But what we have learned from this experience is that in critical times, our mutual responsibility requires us to act in ways that are often uncomfortable or even painful. In such times, philosophy can show us how to use this crisis as an opportunity to culti- vate our sense of togetherness and mutual aid. Moreover, in uncertain times, it can awaken in us an awareness of our individual mortality and moral responsibility. Since every pandemic is a crisis of global propor- tions, all of humanity must be engaged to fnd a strategic solution to it. Therefore, knowledge and thoughts from different cultures and times may well prove helpful in such times. Thus, in such situations, it is especially important to consider ideas and ethical theories from different cultures. Dialogues between different forms of such intellectual legacies are therefore not only advisable but also necessary and the most sensible thing to do. Such exchanges, which could or should take place in the context of the current developments of globalization, are important and valuable not only in terms of solving the current pandemic crisis but also when taking into account other global problems that it is accompanied by and linked to, such as the constant environmental disasters, 1 the ever-widening gap between rich and poor, the resulting migration crises, and so on. Indeed, solving such problems requires the cooperation and solidarity of the entire world population – something that will only be possible if there can be a mutual understanding between different cultures and civi- lizations. As a sinologist who is working on Chinese intellectual history, I will focus on the Chinese experience in this context and, in particular, as the title of this chapter suggests, on Confucian philosophy and ethics. 7 An alternative model of ethics for global crises Confucian relationism Jana S. Rošker 9781032315201_Ch7.indd 112 15-03-2023 12:04:38