Governance Based on Virtue
Wei Zheng Yi De compared "governance based on virtue to the North Star holding its fixed position in the sky while all the other stars revolve around it (The Analects of Confucius)." According to Confucius, the people will orbit around the ruler like stars around the North Star if he governs based on virtue. This idea is the foundation of Confucius' views on governance. He emphasized that rallying support from the people is central to governing a country, and that virtue significantly helps bring people's aspirations together. "Virtue-based governance" can be broken down into governing style and personality traits. Good style involves heeding the public and responding to their concerns, exercising benevolence, protecting the people's interests, and promoting their wellbeing. Ideal personality traits include the ability to cultivate good moral qualities, set good examples, and gain trust from the subject people. "Governance based on virtue" became the mainstay of ancient Chinese political thought, and its influence remains profound and enduring.
Contemporary China also accentuates the importance of virtue in state governance, emphasizing the combination of law-based and virtue-based governance. Besides, government officials are required to have political integrity, observe the code of conduct in public office, apply high moral standards in their private lives, and maintain political commitment.
为政以德
为政以德出自《论语·为政》，原文是“为政以德，譬如北辰，居其所而众星拱之”。孔子认为，如果从政者能够依据道德原则治理国家，那么他就会像北极星一样安居于中央，百姓则像其他星辰一样心悦诚服地环绕着他运行。这是孔子对于治国理政基本原则的具体论述。孔子强调，人心向背是国家治理的基础，而道德能够发挥持久的凝聚人心的作用。具体而言，“德治”思想包括两方面内容：在治理方式上，强调从政者应该顺应民意，施行仁政，维护人民利益， 增进人民福祉；在个人修养上，强调从政者应该注重培养自身道德品质，以身作则，形成道德感召力，从而被人民所信服。此后，“德治”成为中国古代政治思想的主流，对中国政治和文化的发展产生了深远的影响。
当代中国治国理政的基本理念中，同样重视以德治国，强调依法治国和以德治国相结合，并且高度重视政府官员的道德操守，将“明大德、守公德、严私德、立政德”作为对政府官员的基本要求。
