The Dimension Of The Value Of Rule Of Virtue In Per-Qin Dynasty

The thought of the rule of virtue is the main content of the Confucianism in the pre-Qin dynasty, and it is can be almost said to be equal to the Confucianism. The thought of rule of virtue in the pre-Qin dynasty, of which the Representative Men are Confucius, Mencius and Xun Zi, originated from Yin and Shang period which belongs to the Western Zhou period, and formed in the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States period. The main requirement of the thought of rule of virtue is to civilize people by taking advantage of virtue. On one side, it asks the virtue to be equipped with either high status or holy source, and thus can make the rule of virtue have the priority when it comes to be the choice of statecraft. On the other side, it requires that the people have the possibility to be civilized. By following these two requirements, the thought of rule of virtue in the pre-Qin dynasty established its basis of philosophy that is the theory of harmony between the heaven and human and theory of plasticity of humanity. While the former one, that is to say the theory of harmony between the heaven and human makes development of the rule of virtue rationally, the latter one makes it feasibly. The basic meanings of the thought of rule in the pre-Qin dynasty, which is as the true meaning of the Confucianism, include the rule of people-oriented, rule with kindheartness, and rule by wisdom. Although the internal values such as humanity, the"ego"and"superego", and the importance of value, which are refracted by these meanings mentioned above, have evolved for thousands of years, there are still dazzling rays of lights around them. The value of bearing the sense of responsibility represents a sort of positive philosophy of life; the value of humanity represents a sort of plain philanthropism and also the color of hominism; the value of"ego"and"superego"represents the positive meanings of moral restraint and self-regulation in the transformation process from individual value to social value; and the importance of order represents the plain and common appeals of people that are accumulated in the process of guarantee and consolidation of their benefits. At the same time, as a form of political idea and a mode of administration, or a kind of outcome of superstructure, the thought of rule of virtue in the pre-qin dynasty inevitably promote or impede the development of the society, which is right its eternal value. The wholly analysis of the eternal value of the rule of virtue in the pre-Qin dynasty asks for the insistent using of the standard of historical materialism. Not only we should see its historical limitation at that time, but also see its times value, so that letting its guidance and reference value to current reforming and opening and the construction of socialist country under the rule of law be fully utilized through excavating the modern value of it.