This study focuses on Huang Zongxi"s(1610-1695) ruling thought. He is a person who lived in the historical turning point from the Ming Dynasty to the Ching Dynasty in China. His philosophy of Qi(氣) centered-thought, molded by influences of these fam...
This study focuses on Huang Zongxi"s(1610-1695) ruling thought. He is a person who lived in the historical turning point from the Ming Dynasty to the Ching Dynasty in China. His philosophy of Qi(氣) centered-thought, molded by influences of these family and historical backgrounds, made him a political actualist and one of the earliest democrats to support the Ming Dynasty of Han peoples. The background of Huang Zongxi"s ruling thoughts explains his life and academic activities, and his philosophical background is all based on the pragmatism of Qi centered-thought.
For Huang Zongxi"s system of ruling thoughts, he strongly persists in his peoples" sovereignty theory that the people are a host, the king is a guest, and the king should serve not for himself but for the people as his right role. Because of this, he was called a Chinese Rousseau. On the part of his reform of ruling structures, he insisted on an ideological king"s role such as King Yao and King Shun(堯舜), reviving the prime minister system, selecting and scouting public servants, and eliminating eunuchs from politics. For the part of checking regal sway, he suggested legalism for protecting the people"s rights, importance of the school system such as the functions of judging between political right or wrong, checking absolute regal sway, and reviving fangzhen(方鎭) for strengthening national defence and promoting local public opinions. These reformative policies such as the ideological king role, the prime minister system, the selection and scouting of public servants, and eliminating eunuchs from politics were designed according to his ruling thought. It is based on democratic ideology that the people are a host, and the king is a guest.