On The Zhang Juzheng’s Thought Of Criminology

Zhang juzheng was a distinguished statesman, thinker, and reformer of legal system at Ming Dynasty. His thought about criminology originated from the transition period of Chinese history in16th century--Due to the breeding and sprouting of capitalism, the feudal society declined day by day. The present China was in the course of growing crisis ruled by Ming Dynasty. Zhang took up the host of cabinet of government in a serious situation which corruption and graft had become a common practice, Chinese eunuch took charge of the affairs of state, the squire and bureaucrat merged landsat wills. To save the government of feudal power, he took legalism as weapon and promoted the Legalist School spirit of defying brutal suppression. Most scholars supported the idea that the ideology basis of reform was honor Legalism and against Confucianism. The author think Zhang’s criminology thought wasn’t against traditional Confucianism blindly, only to strengthen rule of law and realize reform eventually.Zhang expounded criminal issues from two aspects: criminal causes and criminalprevention. He worshipped nature, valued practicality: in terms of politics, he put forward “respecting sovereignty, imposing bureaucracy, believing rewards and punishments, emphasizing government decree”; in terms of economy, he carried out the policyof “reforming tax system, benefiting peasant and business”; in terms of culture, he launched rectification movement of “removing useless words, seeking practice personally”; in terms of education, he advocated legalism idea “putting morality, etiquette, politics, and punishment into practice”; in terms of law, he insisted legalism ideology “govern the country by law”.Zhang juzheng’s criminology thoughts content, still has an important value andsignificance of the new democratic period even modern. To solve our crime problemand proposed four countermeasures: emphasis on quality education to crimeprevention, to achieve common prosperity to control crime, social harmony andstability grasping to curb crime, to implement strictly enforced to punish crime.