1. From Destiny Theory to People-oriented Theory
In ancient times, people's understanding of natural forces and laws was limited, so they had a awe of heaven and personified it as a force with will and purpose. The ruling class is under the guise of the so-called "divine right of monarchy". Pretending to be the son of heaven, the people must bow down and put forward the so-called "when only the destiny, can not be violated" ("Shangshu Zhou Shu", p. 332). Yin was full of evil, and when he died, he shouted, "Do I have a life in heaven?" (Shangshu Shangshu, page 194) The people rose up against cruel exploitation and oppression, revolted again and again, and a large number of slaves fled. "Thousands of people gather in the party and run the country" (Biography of Boyi in Historical Records) and "reputation is like the sun and the moon" (Xunzi Careful). The power of the people made the slave owners gradually doubt the "destiny", and the rulers felt that "heaven is difficult to fall, and life is often destroyed" (Shangshu Shangshu, p. 147), which means that heaven is hard to believe and destiny is impermanent. "I do business privately, but I am blessed with virtue" (ibid.) "I am not always obedient". ("Shangshu Zhou Shu", p. 285) Destiny is not eternal, and God will not love the Shang Dynasty privately. It will only bless the virtuous ruler, "only heaven has no relatives" (Shangshu Shangshu, 143). The sky won't be near anyone forever. Some rulers finally realized that "Heaven cannot be trusted" (Shangshu Zhou Shu, p. 347).
Some rulers feel that slaves and peasants have great power. Once they stand up, they will be submerged like floods and waves. When Xia Qi's son, Taikang, went out hunting once and the people took the opportunity to rebel and blocked him on the other side of the Yellow River, his five younger brothers sighed, "People can get close, but they can't get off. The people are the foundation of the country and the foundation is the foundation of the country. " I thought it was resentment that there were stupid men and stupid women in the world, one won and one lost three times, but I didn't look at the picture, I was giving it to the people. If I am arrogant, I will be the best person. How can I not respect it? "("Shang Shu Xia "on page 97) People are the foundation of the country. Only when it is fundamentally stable can the country be strong and kangning be achieved. I think ordinary people are smarter and more capable than me. The harm caused by the ruler's mistakes to the people should be paid attention to when it is not obvious. A leader in a high position is like sitting in a car with six horses and old ropes. Can he not be cautious everywhere?
Rulers realize that "heaven is afraid of admiration, and people feel obvious" and "the grievances are neither too big nor too small" (Shangshu Zhou Shu, p. 276). God helps honest people, which can be seen from the emotional performance of the people. "Heaven sees its own nature and the people, and heaven listens to its own nature and the people." ("Zhou Shu, Shangshu", page 2 12) "Smart days make smart people. Tianmingwei, self-improvement, self-knowledge. " ("Shang Yu Shu Xia Shu" page 54) What God sees is what people see; What God hears is what man hears; God observes problems and listens to opinions, which is obtained by drawing opinions from the people and observing problems; God will reward the good and punish the bad according to people's wishes. "God loves the people and the people do whatever they want." (History of Zhou Shu, p. 207) God always sympathizes with the people. The wishes of the people must be obeyed by God, and the will of God is the will of man. "Only heaven has no relatives, but respect is only a relative, and people often worry about benevolence." ("Shangshu Shangshu" page 143) "People's hearts are impermanent, but there are blessings." (Shangshu Zhou Shu, p. 358) People will not always support anyone, but only those who give them benefits.
The ruling class realized from the people's struggle against violence that if they exploited and oppressed the people indefinitely, their rule would end. Therefore, it is put forward that "virtue is only good at politics, and politics is to support the people" (page 37 of Shangshu Yuxia Book), and the people should "protect their children and let the people be Kang Yi" (page 278 of Shangshu Zhou Shu). We should pay attention to people's sufferings, and "always use people's morality in style, shoulder and heart" (Shangshu Shangshu, p. 172). We should constantly give benefits to the people, unite with them, and often appease them. To be an official, we should be "honest and clean, and take morality for the people" (Shangshu Shangshu, p. 159). Ask officials to get rid of selfishness and benefit the people.
People-oriented thought can be said to be an important political content of China's excellent traditional thought dominated by Confucianism. "People-oriented, reason is the foundation of the country, and the country is in danger" ("Guan Zi Bayan XXIII"). "Heaven gives birth to the people, not for the monarch, but for the people." (Outline of Xunzi) Mencius also put forward the idea that "the monarch values the people".
2. People-oriented, starting from loving the people.
People-oriented, we must first love the people, and love the people must support the people. The so-called virtue is good governance, and politics is to support the people. We should start by caring about people's sufferings. "Hungry people eat it, cold people wear it, raise it, and raise it for a long time, lest it be not great" ("Guide to Telling the Garden"). "The past is politics, and the lover is great." How to love people? "If you see that you are hungry and cold, you will worry. If you see that you are trying, you will be sad. Reward and punishment are like adding your own body, and collecting is like taking your own things. " (Liu Tao) In a natural economic society based on small-scale peasant economy, it is very important to cherish the land and not violate agriculture. As the ancients said, land is the mother of wealth. Even today, land is still the basic condition for people's survival and development, and it should not violate agriculture, "at the right time, produce property;" In taxation, for the sake of equality between the rich and the poor; Be generous in salary and do your best; Reward and punish them to prohibit evil. Make the people rich with strength, expensive with things, sin with sin, and reward with merit "("Han Feizi six anti-forty-six "). "This is called' taking it from the people' and benefiting the public." People-oriented (Article 47 of Eight Treatises on Han Feizi) is fundamentally embodied in all aspects of the general political line and its specific policies. As the saying goes, "Rule the world with great virtue, but not with small interests" (Complete Works of Zhuge Liang) should not only reflect the interests of the people from the macro aspect of policies, but also solve the practical problems of the people in specific policies. Love for the people, from a personal moral point of view, is "abstinence and self-love" (The Complete Works of Zhuge Liang, The Last Table).
3. Enrich the people, teach the people and live a long life.
Shangshu put forward that "politics should support the people" and realized that "the four seas are poor, and the sky never ends" (Shangshu Yuxiashu, p. 43). When the ruling class saw that the people were poor, their rule lost the material foundation of the masses. "If the four people (scholars, peasants, workers and businessmen) are equal, then Wang Daoxing and the people will be at peace" (Shuo Zheng Li), and they realize that enriching the people should be the first priority at all times. Because "if you are not rich, you can't support people's feelings, and if you don't teach, you can't manage people's nature ... so you are rich" ("Xunzi Outline"). The Book of Songs also says that people should "eat what they drink and regret what they teach". The so-called "benevolent government" means enriching the people, enriching the people, developing education and improving people's quality, so that society will be harmonious, the country will have talents available and society will develop and progress. "If you are not rich, you will be ruthless. If you don't give, you will be close. If you lose others, you will be defeated" (Six Towers Defend the Earth). Enriching the people must be "a scholar can't teach first and use it." "Not only to teach its people, but also to choose and make it. If the matter is extremely repaired, the officials will give it; Teaching is extremely economical and * * * good; Habit, * * * body customs. Enlightenment is also the best. " Confucius also proposed "enriching the people" and "teaching the people". When he came to Weiguo, he saw a large population there. Ran asked him what to do with a large population. Confucius said "rich", but You Ran asked: "Since you are rich, why bother?" Confucius said: "Teach it" (The Analects of Confucius, Luz). If you are not rich, you will complain, and if you are rich, you will be chaotic without teaching. Comrade Hu proposed to carry out "eight honors and eight disgraces" education among the whole people, which is very targeted and has practical and long-term strategic significance.
Shangshu attaches great importance to the education of officials, young people and scholars, and "values the people and five religions" (Shangshu Zhou Shu, p. 230). It is necessary to educate the people in five aspects: father's righteousness, mother's kindness, brotherhood, filial piety and filial piety, and it also stipulates the educational content for aristocratic children and officials.
"Longevity for the people" is also Confucius' political proposition. Lu Aigong asked Confucius about politics and said, "Politics is to make people rich and live long." Today, it is necessary to improve the people's medical and health care level, promote the healthy development of sports, culture and entertainment, attach importance to the work of aging, and improve the physical and mental health of the whole people and the comprehensive quality of the whole Chinese nation.