On Guo Song Tao's Political Thought

The article expounds mainly the developing course of Guo Songtao's political thought from his early years to his later years, and reveals the inherent connection of the developing, and tries to declare publicly the immediate significance of his political thought.His political thought was divided basically into two stages by 1876, in this year he became the first envoy of Qing Dynasty to England and France. His political thought in his early years established mainly in traditional political ideal, which was the political pattern of wise and able emperor, Virtuous officials and docile people and the thought base on people from Mengzi. He like other traditional literati expected that the wise and able emperor would appear, and hoped him could formulate strict and impartial system of law and discipline and expected him could give a chance of participating in politics to some high-grade members of the ruler group, but Guo Songtao couldn't challenge the absolute monarchy at that time. Meanwhile, on one hand he looked upon the corruption and cruelty of the government officials as the source of the internal unrest, So he advocated clamorously to control the officials sternly;on the other hand he looked upon the ruler group being close to people as political essence, so he advocated to rule people tolerantly and fought against the severe laws.Guo songtao's political thought in his later years made a breakthrough, which embodied mainly that he appreciated clamorously British constitutional monarchy and he regarded the democratic policy characterized by parliament democracy and free-election systems as foundation of prosperity and power, and he denied and attacked the feudal absolute monarchy from Qin-Han Dynasty, So he was the pioneer of reformers.