Historically, China is a country with a long history and a splendid culture. One of the most important periods was the Zhou Dynasty, an era full of political philosophy, cultural thought, and social system innovation.
Political philosophy mainly emphasizes "benevolent government", that is, governing the people with benevolence and caring for their lives. This concept originates from the idea of Confucius in the Analects: "Do not do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That is, as a leader, we should put ourselves in the shoes of the led, respect their feelings, and meet their needs as much as possible. This is the core of the Confucian idea of benevolent government.
So, how to achieve this kind of benevolent government? This requires us to understand the social structure of the Zhou Dynasty. The society of the Zhou Dynasty was divided into two classes: the nobles had land ownership and enjoyed a privileged position, and the commoners were laborers who did not have many rights. In order to maintain social stability, Zhou Gongdan proposed the "ritual music system", which is a social order that regulates people's behavior through etiquette and music.
The aristocracy had to observe the virtues of respecting the elderly, loving the young, loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness, while the commoners had to learn to sing and dance to entertain themselves and regulate their mood. In this way, both nobles and commoners can get psychological comfort, and the whole society is harmonious and stable.
The Zhou Dynasty also had an important governing philosophy, that is, "people-oriented". This does not mean that the people should come first, but that the government should pay attention to the people's livelihood and serve the people. For this reason, the poems in the Book of Songs are often used to praise the greatness of the working people and praise their hard work and kindness. "The peach is dying, scorching its bloom", "I have been in the past, the willows are still around", these poems all depict the picture of the farmer's labor, reflecting the ancient people's admiration and love for agricultural production. This is also an important embodiment of the humanistic care of the Zhou Dynasty.
The political philosophy and ruling philosophy of the Zhou Dynasty revolved around the core of "benevolent government" and "people-oriented". It attaches importance to the feelings of the people and cares about their lives, while also paying attention to the establishment and improvement of social order. These are the essence of ancient Chinese political wisdom, and they still have high reference value for us today.