Rite and Law:A Dual Path to Reconstruct Political Order for Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi

Inheriting Confucian thought of rule of virtue,Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi advocated that the principles of rite should be applied in political field to change social order and realize political function.Meanwhile,they also emphasized the function of law to maintain social stability and avoid social turmoil.In their political philosophy,Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi suggested to solve the basic problems in rule of virtue based on human nature on the one hand,on the other hand they had changed the relationship between rite and law into one emphasizing education,putting punishment into a secondary position.Thus,they had succeeded in combining rite and law in political administration,which is an important source influencing Chinese political thoughts.