“Diligence, Forbearance, Probity And Wisdom”-An Analysis Of Zeng Guofan ’s Methods Of Being A Government Official

In the 19 th century, official corruption, people slack, the decline of the Q ing Dynasty took place. Living in turbulent years of the late Q ing Dynasty, facing the increasingly corrupt ruling group and unprecedented sharp social conflict, Zeng Guofan’s blood filled with sincerity, he determined to “clarify” all over the world, salvaging the country. He spoke bluntly, “if we do not take measures to rectify the official, to restore people’s heart,and to punish corruption vigorously, there is absolutely no possibility of saving itself from declining”. He believed that the key reason for the official corruption of the late Q ing Dynasty, the weakness of the army and the decline in public morals, is “the aspiration of one or two people ”. Therefore, Zeng Guofan insisted from himself start, handled governmental affairs diligently, treated interpersonal relationship with no blame or complainment. No corruption, no misappropriation, Zeng Goufan focused on observing and thinking, tried his best to make everything “completely clear in the mind”. After decades of his ups and downs, the hiccup several times, Zeng Guofan summarized a series of official methods which included “diligence, forbearance, probity and wisdom”. Zeng Guofan’s official way is from oneself to others, from the inside outs, it’s not only the official personal morality and political literacy requirements, but also an initiative on discipline rectification. As an importent minister, with his self-discipline and responsibility, Zeng guofan set a good official example for the people at that time. Under the influence of his guidance and education, the officialdom atmosphere obtained a certain degree of correction, and the corruption had also been a certain degree of restraint. The methods of being a government official shaped Zeng Guofan moral self-cultivation in the model of the image, promoted Zeng Guofan’s success in politics, and also helped him reach the peak of the ideal state which called “inner cultivation and exterior action”. Although, due to the limitations of the times and a variety of objective and subjective reasons, Zeng Guofan’s official way only played a role in his personal moral training and career development, failed to completely change the atmosphere of officialdom in late Q ing Dynasty, and it also existed the disadvantages of worldly compromise. However, its value and wisdom cannot be denied and ignored. His self- cultivation, his strict renunciation and his hard self excitation, all of these are worth us to cherish and deliberate. The essence with the modern value is more worthy of us to explore and analysis, so as to enrich our governing wisdom.Based on Zeng Guofan’s diaries, letters, documents, the memorial to the throne, and other historical data analysis, this thesis is divided into six parts to analyze Zeng Guofan’s methods of being a government official, tracing the source of the thought, in-depth analysis of its ideological connotation, characteristics and influence, as far as possible to give a reasonable explanation on it. The purpose of this paper is to provide some reference value to strengthen the self-cultivation of party members and improve the style construction of leading cadres.