On The Spiritual Restriction Function Of Concept Of Nature To Royal Power In The Dong Zhongshu's Philosophy

For a long time, the philosophy of Han Dynasty is always discriminated. In this paper, as an example of Dongzhongshu It will give the sympathy and undstanding to the philosophy of Han Dynasty by introducing his thought which the concept of nature of restricting the royal power.After Qin and Han Dynasty unified China, the problem of limitation to the royal power appeared prominent in politics specially. Dong Zhongshu had considered theoretical and real success and failure from different kinds of pre-Qin theories, completed a theory with the Confucian thought as its essence, in which the concept of Nature is the highest concept and functions a restriction to royal power. If emperor is correct, he will become the king through the destiny, subsequently undertakes the mission which "the Nature" entrusts with, doing things under the Nature' guide, and govern the country with good politics. If emperor cannot achieve this point and counteracts Dao, the Nature will warn him with natural disasters and unusual phenomena. If he refuses to response to such warning, or even go to "greatly wicked", the destiny will has its shift, another person will receive the destiny and become the new king.The concept of Nature's establishment is based on rational ponder, behind which hides the Nature Dao, which is based on the Confucian thoughts primarily, simultaneously absorbed and fused various pre-Qin theories. In these theories, some come from the sage's summary to experience of life, some from rational ponder. Because rational ingredient is major in this theory, there were always many Confucian scholars to defend traditional moral principles loyally, give the restraint to emperor from the two hands of public opinion and moral action. After the idea of Nature permeates into different social life stratification gradually, the limitation of strengthened Confucian tradition to the royal power becomes more obvious. "Becoming the king through the destiny" also has a limitation to emperor from the interior, enables him to have a tendency to Dao. Even if so, the Nature were still not the solid restrictive main body, it hasn't the functional departments, whether or not it can play the role rely on the trust to Dao finally. At last, we must say even though the Nature Dao and the Confucian Dao both have the actual content, it still cannot make up the flaw from the Nature's function of execution completely, therefore it's restriction to the royal power is spiritual.