Research On The Theory And Practice Of Ruling By Morality And Law

In China, there is a tradition that ruling the country by virtue. It seemed that the country was managed by virtue, in fact, it was also ruled according to law. Morality and law were used in running the country together.With the changes of the times, the essence of morality and law changed, and the connotation of the theory of using both morality and law also changed. The scopes of government by law and virtue are different, and there are many differences between the two. But they go hand in hand. Ruling by virtue is the foundation of ruling by law, and ruling by law is the security of ruling by virtue.Starting from the Western Zhou Dynasty in ancient China, Confucianism advocated that running the country in accordance with virtue, and the Legalists advocated that running the country by law. Both of the two kinds of thoughts gave a profound influence on later generations. The rulers of the Qin Dynasty excessivly used punishment in the governance of the country, and it lead to the demise of the dynasty. The rulers of the early Han Dynasty accept the idea of the rule by morality and law, and the Han Dynasty emerged the flourishing age of "Wenjingzhizhi". And afterwards the flourishing age of "Rule of Zhenguan" and "Kangxi and qianlong" were both profit from the using of both morality and law.Through the struggle and exploration in the long term, the Communist Party of China learn from the experience of the history, and improved and perfected the theory in practice. In the period of Chinese revolution and socialist construction, Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping thought highly of ideological and moral construction and legal construction. Afterwards, the other Communist Party of China constantly improved and perfected the theory of using both morality and law.In the west, the governance of the country had a tradition of ruling by law. Since ancient Greece, the scholars have been exploring the relationship between law and morality.Marx and Engels dialectically analysised of the relationship between law and morality. And in practice, America adhered to not only the tradition of the rule of law, but also attached great importance to the school moral education, to instill the idea of patriotic thought. Japan benefit from China’s Confucian thought, vigorously promoted militarism and collectivism. Singapore also paid great attention to moral education, and strict enforcement of the law, which practiced the theory of ruling by morality and law in practice.Throughout history and facts, the prosperity of the country cannot do without neither morality nor law. The modernization of the country must insist on the use of both morality and law. And the development of the modern China have to practice the theory of ruling by both morality and law, which will accelerate to promote the realization of Chinese dream.