Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.1, 2021

 

The Governing Philosophy of the Zhou as Seen in the Inscription on the Shi Qiang Basin

(Abstract)

 

Chao Fulin

 

The record of the Zhou kings inscribed on the Shi Qiang Basin ritual vessel is the most systematic yet seen. Its inscription demonstrates the Zhou idea of its own orthodox line of transmission expressed in careful and precise sentences and fastidious phraseology. It describes the Zhou kings Wen and Wu and their meritorious achievements, with the aim of emphasizing that King Wen was blessed by Heaven, had received Heaven’s decree and was worthy to take on the heavy responsibilities of rule. It also stresses that in governing the country, the ruler must be as resolute and steadfast as King Wu and have a sense of crisis. The idea that Heaven had appointed King Wen to rule was very important for building the cultural confidence of the Zhou. In traditional Chinese political culture, the “Way of Wen and Wu” first emerged with the inscription on the Shi Qiang Basin, which reflected the changes in the political philosophy of the dynasty at the time. From the Han on, the Way of Wen and Wu was regarded as the supreme governing philosophy and the one and only way of ruling the country. As the crystallization of the wisdom of ancient China’s governing philosophy, the Way of Wen and Wu is a valuable political and cultural heritage.