The Concept of “Virtue China”

Abstract: The author proposes the concept of “Virtue China”, centred on the union of virtue and politics, as a defining characteristic of traditional Chinese political and cultural ideals, and as a fundamental theoretical framework for understanding China and Chinese civilisation. Virtue has been creatively combined with the Mandate of Heaven expressed through “people’s heart-mind” to provide political legitimacy. The Confucian culture of dignity has institutionalised the union of virtue and politics, eventually establishing “Virtue China”. The union has persisted to the present day, fundamentally shaping the spiritual, political and social life of the Chinese. The virtue-based hierarchical concept of dignity, as the author argues, should be considered in the context of the establishment and continuity of “Virtue China”.