Middle Rectification

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaOct 2020

3.8

Word count: 1.2K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

Middle-level administrative achievement. The Lost Book of Zhou, "Great Rectification": "Great Rectification seals and stabilizes, outwardly employing harmony; Middle Rectification employs balance, rewarding the old and treating the new with propriety; Small Rectification employs generosity, giving and relieving to calm the masses."

Editor's review

This book unfolds around the ancient governance concept of "Middle Rectification," drawing on the stratification of administrative achievement recorded in the Lost Book of Zhou, "Great Rectification": "Great Rectification seals and stabilizes, outwardly employing harmony; Middle Rectification employs balance, rewarding the old and treating the new with propriety; Small Rectification employs generosity, giving and relieving to calm the masses." With "middle-level administrative achievement" at its core, the book presents the ancients' thinking on the scale of governance: neither the grand ordering of Great Rectification nor the generous giving of Small Rectification, but rather a balance between "employing balance" and treating old acquaintances with propriety while reassuring the newly attached. For readers concerned with pre-Qin political thought, ancient institutional discourse, and the text of the Lost Book of Zhou, this book offers a concrete and focused point of entry. Its value lies not in popular storytelling but in using a brief document as a clue to guide readers toward understanding the view of order and ethics behind ancient gradations of governance. When reading, one may compare it with relevant chapters of the Lost Book of Zhou, pay attention to the meanings of key terms such as "balance," "reward," and "propriety" in the pre-Qin context, and consider the influence of the intermediate governance wisdom represented by "Middle Rectification" on later ages. It is suitable as auxiliary material for thematic study of ancient political documents, not as an introductory general history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University teachers and students studying pre-Qin political thought and institutional discourse
Readers interested in the Lost Book of Zhou and ancient governance documents
Researchers who need the concept of ancient governance gradations for thematic reference
Literature and history enthusiasts who enjoy close reading of short documents and keyword textual research

Not a good fit for

Ordinary readers expecting popular stories or complete historical narratives
Workplace professionals looking for practical modern management methods
Beginning readers with no interest in classical Chinese documents and ancient institutions

Reading tips

First read through the relevant passage of the Lost Book of Zhou, "Great Rectification," then compare it with this book to understand the position of "Middle Rectification."
Keep a notebook to excerpt key terms such as "balance," "reward," "propriety," and "generosity," and compare the differences among the three Rectifications.
Read alongside other pre-Qin governance documents to avoid understanding a single concept in isolation.
After reading, summarize the administrative achievement of "Middle Rectification" in your own words to test whether you have grasped its balanced meaning.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
正文一
正文二

FAQ

What exactly does the term "Middle Rectification" refer to?

According to the Lost Book of Zhou, "Great Rectification," administrative achievements are divided into three grades: Great Rectification, Middle Rectification, and Small Rectification. "Middle Rectification" refers to middle-level administrative achievement, emphasizing "employing balance, rewarding the old and treating the new with propriety," that is, seeking balance in administration, comforting old acquaintances and treating newly attached people with propriety, occupying an intermediate level between grand ordering and generous giving.

Is this book suitable for directly introducing ancient political thought?

It is not very suitable as a zero-foundation introductory reader. The book unfolds around brief documents, is dense in concepts, and relies on the classical Chinese context; it is more suitable for readers who already have some foundation in reading pre-Qin documents and need thematic study. Beginners may first read general history works before turning to this book.

Do I need to understand the Lost Book of Zhou in advance to read this book?

It is best to have some understanding. The text of the Lost Book of Zhou is archaic and abstruse, and its chapters are interrelated. Reading in advance relevant chapters such as "Great Rectification" and becoming familiar with the basic background and terminology can significantly reduce the difficulty of reading and make it easier to understand the position of "Middle Rectification" in the gradation of administrative achievement.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.