Heaven: the Possibility and Basis of Being a Monarch——Dong Zhongshu's Philosophical Interpretations of Being a Monarch

On the relationship between heaven and monarch,Dong Zhongshu delineates the essence of the positions of being state,master,people and sovereign,and the objective ethical,moral,and political requirements.Affirming heaven's absolute authority and supreme dignity,he sets up the moral standards and behavioral rules for people,sovereign,state and master.Philosophically,he expounds and proves that 'emperor' is the 'son of heaven'.Monarch exists as a social humanoid core and is integrated in 'heaven-earth-man' trinity.The major responsibility of being a sovereign is to unite in an organic manner heaven,earth and man,so that a mutually accommodated cosmos can take its shape.A sovereign should express himself in his political life that he models himself on and observes absolutely Heaven's way.