For a state to be well governed, it seems like it needs both good institutional rules and also good people to run things. But is one of these factors more fundamental or important than the other? Confucian political thought is widely associated with the view that what’s most critical for good governance is to have people of good character in charge — people who possess sound judgment and genuinely care about those they govern. This longstanding feature of Confucian politics is traceable to a highly influential essay attributed to the Confucian philosopher Xunzi (3rd century BCE), who argued that “people” and not “institutional rules” are the proper sources of good order. In this episode, we explore Xunzi’s defence of virtue in politics, his multiple disagreements with the more institutionalist political thinkers known as Legalists, and the significance of his views for later times. Continue reading →