A Tentative Study On Huainanzi's "Wu Wei Er Zhi"

Huainanzi summarizes the development of social history and the lessons from the destruction of Qin Dynasty.It deeply analyzes the harm of the ruler's over-interference to the nature of human beings,and on this basis,puts forward the political ideal of “Wu wei er zhi”(to govern by doing nothing against Nature).Huainanzi sets the monarch as the central role of “Wu wei er zhi”,and whether the monarch is upholding “Wuwei”(doing nothing against Nature)will affect the development direction and state of the whole society.The reason why“Wu wei er zhi” is possible is that Huainanzi has theoretically envisioned the relationship between the monarch and the people from the perspective of political structure,and thus established a political order that can ensure the harmonious operation of society.The important principle of Huainanzi to achieve the political ideal of “Wu wei er zhi” is complying with the laws of the nature.It advocates that the monarch should proceed from the existing objective conditions,including the monarchy,the minister's talents,and the folk custom,and exert the human power on the basis.Specifically,the monarch mainly relies on his own power to promote the power of the law.In the view of Huainanzi,the objectivity of the law replaces the subjective will of the monarch and becomes an important guarantee for the monarchy.However,Huainanzi also noticed the instrumental malpractice of the law,and thus proposed the rule of righteousness(renyi),supplemented by the rule of law as the general outline of state governance,and implemented it in the construction of bureaucracy and the governance of civil society.For the construction of bureaucracy,Huainanzi advocates that the monarch mainly combines the requirements of righteousness to establish the criteria for selecting talents,and combines the law and the ideas to control the ministers.For the governance of civil society,Huainanzi advocates that the monarch formulates a ritual system based on human nature,and regards the ritual system as the natural presentation of the people,and appropriately controls the people.At the same time,Huainanzi especially emphasizes the function of the rule of the custom,which is regarded as an important supplement to the legal etiquette.In the view of Huainanzi,the highest realm of “Wu wei er zhi” is“Shenhua”.The monarch can influence the people by their own "sincere" and "sentimental" spirits,so that they naturally return to their nature.However,Huainanzi realizes the reality of the real society,and “Shenhua” requires the monarch to return to a high moral cultivation.This is only a theory for the monarchs who always want to be dissatisfied,and it is difficult toturn into reality.Therefore,Huainanzi starts from reality and depicts a perfect society in which institutions,decrees,and morals are truly implemented.This is also a society in which the monarch,ministers,the people and both inside and outside are harmoniously co-ordinated by the monarch's “Wuwei”.