| Public opinion is a social phenomenon that exists objectively in society. Theoretical thoughts, institutionalization, and policy formation by politicians and philosophers, in regard to the phenomenon of public opinion, form the"ideologies of public opinion"within its category of political thoughts. Pre-Qin period marks the initial phase of ancient Chinese civilization, particularly during its Spring-Autumn Period and Warring States Period, to which Karl Jaspers (1883-1969)referred as the"Axial Period."It led to the profound"philosophic breakthrough,"which later influenced the conception and development of the much elaborated"Public Opinion"system.This article bases the Origin of Public Opinion in the Pre-Qin Period as the main theme, and surveys the conceptualization of the circumstances and institutional systems of Public Opinion in the Pre-Qin. It also explores into the social and philosophical origins of public opinion in Pre-Qin. It enables the understanding of the nature and historical progression of primitive democratic system, hereditary monarchy,to centralized monarchy. It aims to provide meaningful reference to the policy design and construction of the public opinion system for modern society. The article consists of 8 chapters in 3 parts.Part One, Survey of Pre-Qin Public Opinion, consists of two chapters. The first chapter, mainly based on research findings on the concept of public opinion, introduces brief analysis of contemporary concepts of public opinions in Chinese and Western societies. It explores into the linguistic origins of ancient Chinese concept of public opinion, and specifically asserts that the initial conception of public opinion already existed in the Pre-Qin. However, it was a concept of public opinion among the lower class or the common people, which is significantly different from the meaning of that in contemporary societies. The article subsequently provides fundamental analysis of the Pre-Qin public opinion concept, based on public opinion concept in modern societies as well as the five elements of public opinions.The second chapter illustrates forms and styles of Pre-Qin public opinion in greater details. From the documents of the Pre-Qin, six forms of public opinions have been identified; they are poem, proverb, argument, theory, augury and articles respectively, which concisely conclude Pre-Qin dissemination of public opinion in four fundamental characteristics.Part Two, Thoughts and historical origins of Pre-Qin public opinion, consists of 3 chapters.The third chapter provides research findings to how public opinion thoughts were founded in society, based on social characteristics and class structure in Yao, Shun and Yu eras, as well as Xia, Shang, Zhou dynasties, and the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring State Period. This chapter asserts that the budding of counseling system already existed during the Yao, Shun and Yu eras. In aristocratic politics during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, the feud in the imperial monarchy, and hereditary monarchy always existed among the counseling system. Nevertheless, this kind of feud was generally under orderly control.During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring State Period, the"collapse of etiquettes and music"gave rise to the gradual formation of an independent social class, where the scholars who possessed more knowledge, rationality, and relatively more freedom in their characteristics, were able to establish their thoughts. Therefore, the scholars were conducting, in a grand scale, public opinion and ideology events in their speeches and lobbying across the countries ---hundred schools of thought contened. The Pre-Qin Period can be divided into two stages, the former being the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties (under aristocratic politics and hereditary monarchy systems), and the latter being the Warring State Period (when public opinion became an essential element in power centralism.)The fourth chapter mainly investigates into the developing skeleton of the thoughts of civil orientation from the Period of Yao, Shun, Yu to the late of the Spring and Autumn Period, which concludes that the thoughts of civil orientation is the practical transition of primordial democracy ideology; it is the practical and political ideology system under the monarchy, and it also is the important factor for the growth of the thoughts of Public Opinion. Shao Mu Gong, the ideologist in the late Western Zhou period, raised the important proposition of"persuasion theory"; Tai Shibo proposed the"harmony and similar theory"; both of them are the foundation and the headstream of the"Confucius Public Opinion". The significant development of"the thoughts of civil orientation"during the Spring and Autumn period, also provided the preconditions for the thoughts of public opinion by masters hundred schools. The fifth chapter is the review of the counseling,inspecting, investigating, opinion collecting and historiographers system in regards to public opinion during the Xia, Shang and Zhou period. It suggested that the related contents in these systems, namely Public opinion counseling, collecting and monitoring were the germination of the"Public Opinion System".Part three is the Public opinion thoughts of Pre-Qin masters which are divided into three chapters.In Chapter six, based on the review of public opinion thoughts and the counseling theory by some of the important ideologists during the Spring and Autumn period, such as Guan Zi, Zi Chan and Yan Ying, it suggested that there are important theoretic connections between politicians in Spring and Autumn period and the masters hundred schools after Confucius. However, the public opinion thoughts by politicians in Spring and Autumn period can not fully cut themselves off from the impact of"morality"and"ritual". At same time, the rational self-consciousness driven by practical politics became direct factors for the"harmony ideology"by"Confucianism"and"despotism theory"by"Legalism".The seventh Chapter is research on theories of public opinion by Confucius, Mencius and Xunzi. It suggests that the core public opinion theory by Confucius is the deep development of"harmony and un-similar ideology system"by Confucius. Its main idea of the public opinion control is"ritual", which is"No speaking in the lack of ritual". Based on this theory, Mencius specially stressed the civil opinion position in public opinion in his"policy of benevolence"theory. He emphasized on the characters of counseling systems in his"the people are more important than the monarch"theory. However, Xunzi developed his counseling theory as"Simultaneous Listening"from"Stress the ritual and the laws"ideology, which strengthened the meanings of outside control by manners on public opinion. Overall, it is concluded that"Harmony"is the main public opinion theory by Confucianism, though the theory is idealistic. Nonetheless, Confucianism is not against"unity", but their meaning of"unity"in general is the"harmony unity."In Chapter Eight, there is a review of the despotism public opinion theory by Mohism and Legalism(Fa Jia )of Shangyang and Hanfei. It suggests that Legalism founded the"legalism control"theory which served the centralized monarchy. The core theory of Mohis is"Unity advocating", which is one of the original fundamental theoretical factors for the ideology of despotism of public opinion. Not only the theoretical thoughts, but also the policy formation ideas are filled with pragmatic and ruthless practices. It can be concluded that"sameness"or"one"was the central guidance when they exerted strong control or punishment on public opinion in society.In summary: Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasty keep the most of the heritages of original democratic clan society. It is an important way to respect the noble counseling and civilian public opinion in the noble politics. A series of important ideologies about public opinion were raised by politicians during these periods. It led to the beginning of the theory on public opinion thoughts. Hundred schools of thought contend in the Spring and Autumn, Warring States period, developed their public opinion theory into idealism"harmony"and realism"Unity"through conception movement by the theoretical argument on public opinion. Confucius"harmony oriented"public opinion theory is referring to the society, as well as thoughts and institutions during the Three dynasties, especially the Western Zhou dynasty. This became the ideology mainstream in the Pre-Qin period, which is a very important historical stage for the buildup of traditional Chinese public opinion ideology. The theory on public opinion by Legalism and Mohism with the"Sameness"characters, especially by ideologists in the mid-late Warring Sates period, played very critical roles for the development of centralized monarchism. |
