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Zheng (政), or governance, refers to policy and managing the country, while zheng (正), or rectitude, refers to adherence to principle, decent behavior, and handling matters with fairness. This term has two meanings. First, it emphasizes that those who govern should adhere to principle, behave correctly, and handle matters with fairness. Second, it emphasizes that at a moral level, those who govern should be strict with themselves, that they should play an exemplary role and thus show their subordinates and the people how to follow the right path and comply with social norms. It is a concrete expression of the idea “rule by man” and “governing by virtue” in ancient times.
The term has two meanings. First, it refers to all measures for governing a country. Zheng (政) stands for decrees, rules, and ordinances, and zhi (治) refers to their implementation, that is, the way in which the people are governed. Second, it refers to a state of stable and sound governance of the country, with an efficient and clean government, a prosperous economy, and a peaceful society. In modern times, the term is used in the sense of “politics,” as it refers to policies, measures, and actions that governments, political parties, social groups, or individuals adopt in domestic or international affairs.
The expression means fair and just. Gong (公), the opposite of si (私 private), means impartial and not self-centered. Zheng (正), the opposite of qu (曲 crooked), has two meanings. One is shared norms based on justice, and the other is making oneself comply with these norms in one’s behavior and stay unbiased and impartial in one’s relationship with others. Fairness is expressed mainly in a state or society having a common morality and norms with which all people are bound and which people use to judge whether others are doing right. In modern society, fairness finds its expression mainly in the way that institutions, laws, and people are just and social wealth and public resources are fairly distributed. It is seen as one of the core values conducive to good morality and society.
Governance of a state should be guided by virtue. Confucius （551-479 BC） expounded this philosophy – which his followers in later eras promoted – on the basis of the approach advocated by the rulers in the Western Zhou Dynasty that prized high moral values and the virtue of being cautious in meting out punishment. Governance based on virtue stands in contrast to rule by use of harsh punishment as a deterrent. It does not, however, exclude the use of punishment, but rather highlights the decisive role of virtue in governance, and regards moral edification both as the fundamental principle and the essential means for achieving good governance.
This term is an example of Confucian literary thinking. Confucian scholars believed that music gave expression to people’s thinking and emotions, so a country’s music reflected whether government integrity was upheld, whether people enjoyed prosperity, and whether the social atmosphere was amiable and sincere. According to Zuo’s Commentary on The Spring and Autumn Annals, during his diplomatic mission to the State of Lu in the Spring and Autumn Period , Prince Jizha of the State of Wu learned about the governance of various vassal states and regions at the time by listening to their music performed by the people of Lu. This should be the origin of the term “assessing governance by listening to music.” This concept first emerged in the Qin and Han dynasties, which removed the boundary between art and government and made artistic aesthetics a part of public life. It gave expression to Confucian literary thinking which was based on governance and ethics and added a political and ethical dimension to the ancient Chinese literary and art theory.
Laozi advocated “influencing others without preaching” as part of his philosophy of wuwei (无为) or non-action. In ancient times, rulers issued orders and instructions to shape their subjects’ speech, thoughts and behavior so as to conform to the proprieties. Laozi was against this kind of direct action, believing that instead of imposing their own will on the people, the sovereign should employ non-action and non-preaching methods to preserve and protect the natural state of their subjects. Later, the term came to mean influencing and guiding others by one’s moral conduct.
Harsh and cruel laws are more horrifying even than a tiger. The expression comes from The Book of Rites. The story goes that when Confucius （551-479 BC） was passing the foot of Mount Tai, he saw a woman weeping on a grave. He sent Zilu（542-480 BC） over to inquire. The woman said there were many tigers in the area and that she had lost three of her family to them, but because the local laws were not harsh, she did not wish to move away. Confucius sighed and said, “Tyranny is fiercer even than a tiger.” This is a criticism of harsh government, and an exhortation to rulers to reduce taxes and cut conscript labor, and to treat their subjects with compassion. It is an expression of Confucian principles of benevolent rule.
Only by being fair can one distinguish between right and wrong; only with moral conduct can one establish authority. These mottoes were used as reminders by upright officials of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Gong (公) means fairness and opposing pursuit of selfish interest. Ming (明) means discernment, namely, the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Lian (廉) means free from corruption. Wei (威) means authority or credibility. Today, these teachings have remained important principles which office holders should abide by. They mean that governance should be exercised in a fair and just way and within the framework of laws and regulatory procedures of the state. Officials should lead by example, have moral integrity and be self-disciplined; they should put public interests above their own and not use their power to pursue personal gain.
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