Between People-Orientation And Democracy:Studies On The Political Outlook Of Huang Zongxi

Huang Zongxi is an important ideologist at the end Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty, whose political thoughts are taking a significant position in the history of Chinese traditional politics. It is Huang that promoted the people-oriented thought to an unprecedented high level. The highlight of his political outlook is mainly represented by his practice of the traditional political and cultural ideas, and his construction of the linkage from the traditional people-oriented politics to the modern democratic politics. Thus, his thoughts represent a peak reached by the Confucius people-oriented political thoughts in the traditional society, and possess valuable theoretical value as well as important practicing meanings.As to the positioning of Huang Zongxi’s political outlook, there have been great divergences in the academic field for a long time, which are divided into types like the School of People-orientation, the School of Democracy, and the School of Neo-People-orientation, etc.. Some hold the opinion that Huang’s political outlook still belongs to the traditional political thoughts, and does not surpass the Confucius thought category since Mencius, thus shows no nature of democracy; some take the view that his thoughts are near or passable to the democratic thoughts of modern times, and have opened the gate for the construction of the political democratic system in China; while some also think that his political outlook lies between the people-orientation and the democracy.The thesis rescans and rethinks Huang Zongxi’s political outlook from the angle of modern politics. Based on the analyses of the reasons for its formation and the explorations of its sources, the logical system of Huang Zongxi’s political outlook is constructed in a comprehensive way. By the comparisons at all times and in all over the world, the historic position and the value in contemporary times of the political outlook are pointed out, and the distance to modern western democratic thoughts is also picked up. The thesis attempts to make an object and just comment to Huang Zongxi’s political outlook, and seek valuable ideological resources for the current social reformation and democratic development in our country.