Political Philosophy

 It is the function of government to help all men in their development.

 Heaven produced men with natures contain basic stuff of goodness but are not able to be good
in themselves. Therefore, heaven established the king to make men good.
 The king governs with beneficence, rewards, punishments, and execution.
 Four ways of government are modeled on the four seasons. They match spring, summer,
autumn, and winter.
 The King is co-equal with Heaven.
 Heaven has four seasons, while the king has four ways of government.
 The organization is modeled on the pattern of the four seasons.
 Four ranks = Four seasons
 Three assistants = Three months
 The government selects men and employs them according to their natural grades of virtue and
ability.
 Heaven and man are close and intimate.
 All wrongdoings of human government are a manifestation of abnormal phenomena in the
world of nature.
 Abnormalities on the part of man, abnormalities on the part of nature.

Philosophy of History

 Tsou yen maintained the theory that the changes of dynasties in history are influenced by the
movements of five powers.
 Tung Chung -Shu modifies the theory that maintaining the succession does not accord to the
movement of five powers but with the sequence of what he calls the ‘Three Reigns’.
 Black = Hsia dynasty (Fascism)
 White = Shang dynasty (Capitalism)
 Red = Chou dynasty (Communism)
 When a new king founds a dynasty, he has received special mandate from Heaven. He must
effect external changes to make apparent that he has received the mandate.
 Shifting of his capital to a new place
 Assumption of a new title
 Changing the beginning of the year
 Altering the clothing worn on official occasions.
 The great source of Tao is Heaven; Heaven does not change, nor does Tao.
 All rulers inherited their authority from their ancestors.
 Ch’in Dynasty
 Han Dynasty (from common people to emperor of Chinese)
 The emperor had to be watchful for manifestations of pleasure and displeasure of
Heavens, and to act accordingly.
 No matter how good an imperial house may be, the length of its rule is limited.
Interpretation of the Ch’un Ch’iu

 Confucius received the mandate of heaven which he is the successor of the chou dynasty and to
represent the black reign. He was not a king de facto, but de jure.
 The Ch’un Ch’iu, or Spring and Autumn Annals.
 Chronicles of Confucius’ natives of Lu
 Political work of Confucius which he exercised his right as a new king.
 As the main source of his authority. (Tung Chung-Shu)
 Three ages of Ch’un Ch’iu
1. The age that was personally witnessed by Confucius
2. That which he heard of through the oral testimony of the elder living contemporarities
3. That which he heard through transmitted records.