Conceptual History of Morality and Penalty in China
Author:   Dejia Li ,  Linan Tian
Publisher:   Springer Verlag, Singapore
ISBN:  

9789819590582


Pages:   90
Publication Date:   13 June 2026
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
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Conceptual History of Morality and Penalty in China


Overview

This book challenges the long-prevailing interpretation of China’s legal tradition as “virtue given priority over penalty,” arguing that this proposition is a projection of modern Western rule-of-law discourse and fails to accurately reveal the structure of traditional Chinese legal thought. The author introduces the concept of “virtue as foundation, penalty as function”—framing “virtue” as the bedrock of ruling legitimacy, moral education, and social self-governance, while “punishment” serves as a necessary tool for upholding order. It offers a novel theoretical framework for scholars and interested readers worldwide to re-examine China’s legal heritage and its embedded governance wisdom.

Full Product Details

Author:   Dejia Li ,  Linan Tian
Publisher:   Springer Verlag, Singapore
Imprint:   Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN:  

9789819590582


ISBN 10:   9819590582
Pages:   90
Publication Date:   13 June 2026
Audience:   Primary & secondary/elementary & high school ,  Educational: Primary & Secondary
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

I. “Morality” and “Penalty” : Identification of Two Important Concepts in the Ancient Times.- II. Identification of the Relationship between “Morality” and “Penalty” of Confucianism.- III. Neither Rule by Morality nor Rule by Law: Traditional Chinese Governance.- IV. Morality given priority over penalty: A Beautiful modern misunderstanding?.- V. Comparison of Relationship between Morality and Law in Chinese and Western Cultures.

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Author Information

Dejia Li is Associate Professor at the Law School of Beijing Normal University and Secretary-General of the Chinese Legal Culture Research Society, Beijing Law Society. His research focus on Chinese legal history and legal culture, with additional work in education law. He has received the China Legal Culture Research Achievement Award and the Sun Guohua Youth Research Achievement Award, and serves as a cooperating expert for China Central Television (CCTV).

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