Public Policy in Legalist Thought and Its Application and Impact in Contemporary China

Authors

  • Ruihan Zhang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61173/x2jtwj74

Keywords:

Legalist thought, public policy, China

Abstract

The Legalism is one of the most influential and representative political philosophies of ancient China, and it has continued to have an enduring influence on public policy making and the governance model of contemporary China. This article will explore the sustained influence of Legalism on governance in contemporary China by exploring the core principles of Legalism as well as its main ideas on public policy and governance. The main core principles and ideas of Legalism are: the rule of law, strict adherence to the law, and the strategic use of state power. This study aims to highlight the continuity of ancient philosophical thought in shaping the current political landscape, while also demonstrating and emphasising the importance of understanding these historical origins in order to understand Chinese governance patterns.

References

[1] Han Feizi. (n.d.). Han Feizi (C. Watson, Trans.). Columbia University Press. (Original work published in the 3rd century BCE).

[2] Shang, Y. (n.d.). The Book of Lord Shang (J. J. L. Duyvendak, Trans.). University of Chicago Press. (Original work published in the 4th century BCE). Dean&Francis Ruihan Zhang

[3] Fu, Z. (1996). Legalism: A Forgotten Tradition in Chinese Politics. Palgrave Macmillan.

[4] Zhao, D. (2010). The Confucian-Legalist State: A New Theory of Chinese History. Oxford University Press.

[5] Lai, H. (2016). China’s governance model: Flexibility and durability of pragmatic authoritarianism. Routledge.

[6] Moody, P. R. (2007). Legalism and Governance in China: The Han Feizi and Contemporary Chinese Politics. State University of New York Press.

[7] Li, A. (2011). The research on legalists’ rule of law theory in pre-Qin. Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China.

[8] Zhang, X. (2019). Social governance and stability in China: The role of law and order. Modern China Journal, 45(3), 321- 344.

[9] Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. (2023, January 6). The “Positivist” Spirit of Legalism and Ancient Chinese Legal System. Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. https://www.cssn. cn/fx/flsx/202301/t20230106_5578455.shtml.

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Published

2024-12-31

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 6 (2024): Volume 2, Issue 6

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2024 by the authors.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.