Rule of Law and Freedom

Author: Shang Yuan Li Gang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: "Daozhi Culture" is a new concept proposed in this book. Its unique feature lies in examining Daoist political behavior and its orientation models from a political cultural perspective. The book offers a comprehensive understanding and grasp of Daozhi Culture, revealing its intrinsic logical structure in terms of origins, concepts, practices, and impacts. It summarizes that Daozhi Culture is centered on the principle of "Dao Fa Ziran" (the Way follows nature), with self-cultivation and autonomy as its intrinsic mechanism, and non-action governance as its fundamental political design. The book analyzes the modernization potential of Daozhi Culture. The author closely examines Daoist political non-compliance, analyzing the naturalistic political beliefs, people-centered political ethics, "self-governance of the people" strategy, political personality of the "true person," and the utopian perspective of "wandering in the world" in Daozhi Culture, along with its development. Through political practices in the early Han and Wei-Jin periods, as well as comparisons with Confucian, Legalist, and other political cultures, the author further deepens the theoretical discussion. The author argues that Daozhi Culture is a political culture that "leaves the family," often associated with political decentralization and social turbulence, representing a typical free political idea and the of democratic political culture in ancient China, with distinct modernity. The book combines historical analysis with theoretical arguments, demonstrating rigorous logic, clear viewpoints, substantial evidence, fluent language, and original insights.