Sima Guang Governance Research

"Governance" was that various factions put forward differenttheories, doctrines, ideas, viewpoints around how to govern and pacifythe world in ancient Chinese political thought. In short, that was the wayof how to govern and pacify the world. Governance was the focus andcore that thinkers and politicians of past dynasties were concerned."Political way"(the feudal autocratic monarchy) was fairly stableand even immutable in traditional Chinese society. Autocratic monarchywas supreme, it cannot be challenged and questioned. This led ancientChinese statesmen and thinkers cannot think too much about politicalway, but paid attention to governance.This article is based on the separation of "political way" and"governance", researching on China governance and using Si Maguang asa breakthrough to explore the way how traditional China govern theworld.As an outstanding statesman, historian and the representative ofConfucian’s, Si Maguang’s governance thought was very representative,it was typical of governance especially Confucian. In particular, theposition he held in Wang Anshi’s political reform, which highlightingtraditional Confucian political philosophy.In Feudal monarchy, the Confucian scholars rest their hopes (governthe world) on the highest rulers (the emperor), hoped to get trust andsupport from the emperor and achieve their own political ideals (externalachievement) at last. Zhang Zai, Chengs and Zhu Xi didn’t enter thepolitical core in career and hadn’t actual power, so they wrote books toexpress their political views and aspirations like Mencius, instead, FanZhongyan, Si Maguang and Wang Anshi were very smooth in career, theygot trust and support from the emperor, displayed their own politicalambitions and put their own political ideals into practice, so in theirdoctrines,"external achievement" was more obvious."I think day and night, hoping find the way to govern the world", SiMaguang made it his duty to concerned with the world and people, regarded governance as the core, thought about how to govern theworld all the time and explored the way to keep world stable, safe andsurvival. In other words, Si Maguang carried out the thought ofgovernance from beginning to end. The core of governance is the way of"internal sage and external achievement", the basic principle ofgovernance thought is Confucian traditional Etiquette, govern by man,democratic and learn from the past. These embodied in the following fouraspects: the political way of being a monarch, the political way of beingofficials, the way of choosing an official (morality first), the golden meanof the Confucian school (neutralization), Si Maguang’s governancethought embodied in controversy with Wang Anshi.As the central figure in political arena in Northern Song Dynasty, SiMaguang was different from the Neo-Confucian who emphasis ontemperament, he paid attention to "external achievement", that is how tomaintain Zhao and Song Dynasty’s government and ensure the stabilityof it. So he focused on "external achievement", put forward fourprinciples of governance: Firstly, Etiquette, that is govern the world byceremony. Ceremony is the foundation of ruling riots, it is social orderand law, which safeguarding the government and social order. The rule oflaw is the necessary complement of Etiquette. Secondly, the rule ofhuman. The theme of governance is people, the foremost thing is tochoose people, Thirdly is people-oriented. Developed Confucian’speople-oriented thought, the world must be people-oriented, people is thebasis of world. Finally, learning from the past to govern the world. SiMaguang emphasized learning from the past."In view of the past,available for the governance", he compiled ZiZhiTongJian and inheritedtradition history of governance.Si Maguang’s governance thought mainly reflected in the followingfour aspects:The first is the political way of being an emperor. The emperor’sposition was paramount in feudal autocratic monarchy, he held thehighest powers which relating with the world’s rise and fall. Therefore, SiMaguang put forward "the state’s riots are based on emperor", on the basis of esteem emperor, it asked the emperor have three virtues"benevolence, wisdom, militarism". On the premise of governing byemperor and officials, reined officials and governed the world in order toclear and definite the emperor’s political way.The second is the political way of being officials. As a feudal socialofficial, he not only devoted himself heart and soul to emperor, but alsotook good care of people. Therefore, officials not only been where he is,but also committed to emperor and assisted the emperor to govern theworld. It required officials have official virtues such as clemency,straightness, subtlety, caution and clean.The third is morality first. The talent was the essence of Si Maguanggovernance thought. Si Maguang was aware of human nature wasdifferent from each other based on the view of good and evil mingledhuman nature, he came to the conclusion that morality first and moralityis superior to talent by debating the moral and talent. He put it into effectin the imperial examinations and hoped select a group of competent andhonest elite.The fourth is the golden mean of the Confucian school(neutralization). This is the core of Si Maguang’s philosophy. Si Maguang considered it as famous dictum, which spiritual cultivation, settledown, behave oneself and govern world cannot be separated from it. SiMaguang also carry it into diplomatic relations, put forward "livetogether in peace with one another as good neighbors", so he obtainedhigh political prestige in the minority.Si Maguang’s governance thought most centralized embodied incontroversy with Wang Anshi’s political reform. Both Si and Wang werewith the heart of concerning with the world and people, in order to solvethe problems of Northern Song Dynasty, they advocated people-oriented,achieved rich country and strong army and called for political reform.Although they have the same purpose, their methods and means were atthe opposite poles. For example, they had different ideas on how toreform, Wang proposed it should following "defying three" and overhaul,but Si advocated maintaining the current system as carrying gradual change innovation. In addition, their viewpoint of justice and benefitwere disagreement, it caused they went to the opposite side on theproblem of reform and also reflected their different governance thought.In his lifetime, Confucian ideal pursuit of governing was embodiedin his political and school career the world everywhere. Si Maguang wasnot only diligent to explore China’s governance but also did politicalpractice in his life. Therefore, read ZiZhiTongJian could "In view of thepast, available for the governance", Si Maguan’s academic thought, moralpersonality, life experience, political career were also a good textbook ofChinese traditional governance.Overall, Si Maguang’s governance thought was carried out under theframework of the feudal autocratic monarchy. Although there were tracesof autocratic monarchy everywhere, he loved for people, valued moralityand advocated governance which produced a positive role at that time,governance also has a useful reference to nowadays China governance.