The Unification of "Regulation" and "Virtue": The Review of Dong Zhongshu's Ethical and Political Thought Against the Background of Communitarianism

Dong Zhongshu's ethical and political thought is similar to communitarianism in some aspects. Both of them regard the whole benefit as the core from the viewpoint of value, subsume a certain in humanity, and emphasize ethics as aims when constructing ethics. Dong Zhongshu was not like a communitarianist who stressed the goodness in humanity, but pointed out the possibility of evil in humanity on the basis of reality. Hence, Dong Zhongshu emphasized the unification of regulation and virtue, rather than only paying attention to virtue. It is positive to the contemporary construction of ethics in our country to review the ethical and political thought of Dong Zhongshu, with the reference to communitarianism's critique of liberalism.