For a long time, as an important representative of legalists, Guanzi's thought of rule of law has attracted the attention and attention of many scholars. However, although Guanzi Eighteen Articles is among the legalists (1), Guanzi emphasizes the importance of the rule of law and does not ignore the role of rule by virtue. "Guanzi" holds that "herders all want the courtesy of the people; If you want people to be polite, then small gifts are essential; Small gifts are not only for the country, but also for the people. They can't be obtained (Quan Xiu), and only Germany and France can be organically combined and coordinated. For this reason, Guanzi also made an image metaphor in the Seven Laws, that is, "Governing people is like water control, raising people is like raising six animals, and employing people is like using vegetation", pointing out that "governing people" is like "water control", which is not only important to block, block, dredge and guide; "Raising people" is like "raising six animals". If you don't care about it, you can't serve people well. Therefore, "Guanzi" thinks that "a group of officials are rude to learn, and a hundred officials are ignorant of the law, which is an ominous sign" (Ren Fa), pointing out that it is an ominous sign for an official's chief executive not to combine morality with law, and putting forward that "the minister's merit should be combined with morality, and the law should be used as the standard for assessing the merits and demerits of officials" (under the monarch and minister).

Morality and law, as two basic strategies for governing the country and protecting the people, have been fully valued and embodied in most chapters of Guanzi. "Guanzi" holds that "those who are good at governing the country plow the fields and the market, the imperial court is idle and political, public law is private, and the granary is empty and empty ... while courtesy and righteousness, they move safely and win" (five auxiliary). Only "openness of affairs" and "courtesy and integrity", with equal emphasis on morality and law, can be a "good politician", which clearly expresses the comprehensive governance thought of paying equal attention to morality and courtesy and the rule of law. [4] Therefore, Guanzi proposed that rulers should be "proficient in statutes and common people are reasonable" ("Quan Xiu"), "The right to cooperate in the world should be punished for adultery by virtue, and the relatives of princes should be punished for adultery" ("Bayan"), which advocated that the relatives of princes should be obtained by virtue, and it should be regulated by punishing traitors. At the same time, Guanzi also put forward that "punishment is harmful, politics is the life, law is the system, and morality is the cultivation" (Zheng), that is, to educate the people with courtesy and justice and to judge right and wrong with criminal law. Only in this way can we "treat it with virtue, control it with fear, and the world belongs to it" (under the monarch and the minister) and safeguard the ruling class to the maximum extent.

2. Virtue precedes law.

Although most chapters of Guanzi regard morality and law as two major measures to govern the country, they need to be implemented at the same time and cannot be neglected. However, on the specific issue of governing the country and safeguarding the people, Guanzi still embodies the idea that morality precedes law to a certain extent. "History" clearly put forward the order of Germany and France: "Do not violate the weather, do not mess with migrant workers. Seize the opportunity to raise people, and the sages will be punished later. " "Yan Shu" also thinks: "Law comes from courtesy, courtesy comes from governance, and governance is also Tao. Everything will be decided after governance. " "Filial Piety" recorded a conversation between Qi Huangong and Guan Zi about governing the country and protecting the people. Guan Zi said: "All herders must know their illness, worry about virtue (Excellence), not be afraid of sin, not stop with strength, and be cautious about these four things, which are enough to cure the people." He pointed out that to govern the people, we must be aware of their sufferings, be generous with morality, and do not have to threaten or ban them with punishment, which clearly shows the banner of Guan Zi. Similar expressions such as "deep stone depends on strength, but can be content with morality" ("internal strength") also explain the view that "pipe is the king of understanding morality" From this point of view, although Guanzi is an important representative of the pre-Qin legalists, it still absorbs some thoughts of Confucianism to a certain extent, puts morality in an important position in governing the country and the people, and expresses the political demands of Guanzi for the rulers as politicians to "put morality first" and be polite and honest.

3. Law is more important than morality.

Guanzi regards "propriety, righteousness, honesty and shame" as the "four dimensions" of a country, and puts forward that "if the four dimensions are not opened, the country will die" (herders), and clearly puts forward the important role of virtue in governing the country. However, in the relationship between morality and law, Guanzi still puts law in the leading position of governing the country and protecting the people. Benevolence law holds that morality such as benevolence, righteousness, propriety and happiness all come from law. "The so-called benevolence, righteousness, propriety and happiness all come from the law, and this sage is also for the people." At the same time, although Guanzi also said "benevolence", it advocated that law is superior to "benevolence" and that "courage and injustice hurt soldiers; Righteousness and lawlessness hurt righteousness "(France). "Guanzi" also said: "Order is more important than treasure, society is more important than relatives, law is more important than people, and weight is more important than nobles. Therefore, it is not for the sake of valuing treasures and neglecting orders, not for the sake of family members, not for the sake of loving the people and abolishing the law, not for the purpose of conferring a title. " In Guan Zi's view, morality, as a social moral norm, should be regulated, and what is regulated is nothing more than law, and the justice of law is the necessary guarantee for the implementation of moral policy. In addition, Guanzi praised the important role of law in governing the country and safeguarding national security in many places. Ren Fa said: "Those who practice the law are the best in the world and the treasure of saints; "Fa Ming Jie" holds that "the dharma is the plan of the world and the instrument of all things"; "Guangding" also said: "The parents of the people are also the parents of the people" and spoke highly of the status of the law. [5]

(4) The influence of the thought of "morality and law" in Guanzi on China culture.

Although the thought of Guanzi bears the brand of feudal times, it can be said that his thought occupies an important position in the history of Chinese civilization development and has important reference significance in all aspects of politics, economy and social life. In particular, his thought of "morality and law" laid a foundation for the Chinese nation's self-unification concept of governing the country and the long-term political form of governing the country by virtue and rule of law, which had a far-reaching and positive impact.