Molding The Moral Character Of Citizens And Establishing An Order Based On The Rule Of Law In A Transitional Period

The concept of a “Citizen” originated in ancient Greece. Citizens of ancientGreece provided the city-state democracy with a powerful internal dynamic. Due tothe development of Western society, the moral character of citizens has beenexperiencing changes. With the influence of social movements such as the rise of thecities, The Reformation and The Enlightenment, the modern moral character ofcitizens inspired the growth of the western rule of law, supported the establishmentof a social order based on the rule of law and laid the foundation of modern westerndemocratic and constitutional countries. Although China also has a long history anda splendid ancient culture, the moral character of citizens has not been cultivated anda beneficial social order based on the rule of law has not been established. Incontemporary China, the concept of “Subjects” continues to have an importantinfluence on Chinese mentality. Presently, China has entered a period of socialtransformation in which many social structures are undergoing tremendous changes,especially the economic structure. However, the development of other fields,particularly the rule of law, is lagging behind. Under such circumstances, the lack ofmoral character of citizens not only greatly slows the development of the rule of law,but also becomes one of the most vital factors causing social crisis during thetransitional period. The reasons why the moral character of citizens is lacking in China can be attributed to two factors. One is the restriction and influence of thepolitical structure and the culture of traditional China. The other is the difficultiesfound in reality. Therefore, in order to provide structural support for theestablishment of the rule of law, it is necessary to accelerate the shaping of the moralcharacter of citizens, which requires motivating the citizen spirit, improving citizenconsciousness and encouraging citizen participation.