On Zhu Yuanzhang’s Strategy Of Ruling The Country By Virtue

The Ming Dynasty is in the period of social transition, and it is an important dynasty in the late feudal society of China. In recent years, there has been an upsurge on the research of Ming dynasty. The study of Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of Ming dynasty, is more popular, and appears many outstanding works. However, most studies of Zhu Yuanzhang focus on his harsh criminal law, and ignoring his attempts of ruling by virtue in early times. So the present researcher devote himself to the study of Zhu Yuanzhang’s ruling by virtue.This article consists of the introduction and five chapters.The introduction mainly focus on the overseas and domestic research status of Zhu Yuanzhang, also the trend of development. Under the stand of historical materialism, the author determines the significance and methods of this study.The first chapter presents the formation of ruling by virtue of Zhu Yuanzhang. This chapter talks about three aspects: the influence of traditional Chinese society’s morality-based ideology, the needs of social reality in the early Ming dynasty, and the life experience of Zhu Yuanzhang.The second chapter presents the basic contents of ruling by virtue of Zhu Yuanzhang.This chapter discuss the main thought of Zhu Yuanzhang, that is people-oriented, moral education, and official virtue construction. And also talks about his characteristic of strict official and wide public, paying attention to practical, inequality and so on. This chapter is the difficulty of the article.The third chapter presents the practice activity of ruling by virtue of Zhu Yuanzhang.This chapter describes the emperor guiding his people by setting a thrift example,enhancing the construction of culture by respecting Confucianism, selecting and appointing officials to strengthen the official team. This chapter is the key point of the article.The fourth chapter presents the transfer of ruling center of Zhu Yuanzhang. The first emperor of the Ming Dynasty carries out ruling by virtue, which makes a great progress of population and social production. The general mood of society has changed, too, and achieved some positive results. But corruption, the potential nobility leaning against the law, imperial threats and other issues still exist. Zhu yuanzhang’s transform from ruling by virtue to "Ruling with Severe Punishment" also caused a lot of social problems.The fifth chapter presents the Enlightenment of Zhu Yuanzhang’s strategy of governing the country with morals. Zhu Yuanzhang’s governing practice activities achieved some positive effects, but there still are many problems, and for today’s socialist construction in China,it’s a very important reference and enlightenment. It requires us that we should strengthen the construction of official morality, social morality construction, at the same time to combine the country with morality and the rule of law together, and could not neglect anyone.