Gonglun (公论) refers to public opinion or remarks, or fair opinion or remarks. It is synonymous with yulun (舆论). Liberal-minded rulers have all through the ages valued the opinion of the majority, especially views widely held by the public and regarded them as the basis on which the correctness, legitimacy, and feasibility of a policy were judged, and even as the fundamental principle or spirit that a nation lives by. In this sense, the concept of gonglun reflects the people-oriented principle of the rule of the majority. Since the beginning of modern times, it has been used as a translation of “public opinion,” which reflects the democracy-based principle of the rule of the majority.