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(what justifies political authority according to Fang?, Conception of…

- - - - It would be a mistake, however, to see this relation between people and political authority as one akin to contemporary citizens in a state, with the people seeming more like participants in a transactional system wherein they endeavour to be respectful, obedient, and loyal in surviving their superiors to ensure their material needs are met and punishments or starvation are avoided. Should a cynical stance be taken, however, one could find parallels between lines of critique of the modern citizen as being illusory, presupposing certain rights while nevertheless resting on a system of material dependency
- - - - No real indication on why the masses came together, good bridging point for why the question of political authority is significant
  - - - However, Fang's conception differs from earlier accounts as Fang posits that getting people to cooperate w/ the govt requires no convincing the people, as the correct policies will be self-evident in their value, with the people following policies that are correct or justified by their own accord .
      - This approach certainly contrasts with a Xunzian approach to governance, as Fangs approach hinges on the people ability to discern the value of political authority, whereas Xunzi assumes a kind of authoritative tabula rosa in the people
  - - - To this end, the purpose of political authority to Fang is to provide for their subjects materialy and alleviate their troubles and hardships. Fang seems to imply that these are often one and the same, but also indicates that the ruler has distinct duties such as undertaking administration and moral instruction p3
      - The relation between the people and their rulers is almost one of dependency, with the implication that the relation between the ruler and the people being one of accountability
- - - - Fang here offers a teleological? argument wherein during the process of the universe’s vital flow, an unpreventable disorder of circumstances can arise, requiring rulers and teachers to govern and level the disorder of the realm
- - - - Fang posits a doctrine of a dao for exercising political authority in the realm consisting of an emphasis on benevolence, righteousness, ritual, and music as the most effective way to govern people as this undertaking alone can prevent disorder through winning the hearts of people such that they abstain from willfully engaging in disorder. p14
      - Fang is at pains to assert that a realm cannot be ordered by fa alone, analogizing fa to condiments and noting “Many of the people of mountain valleys do not depend on condiments yet live,” drawing a distinction between dao and fa as one of priority. That is, the dao for political authority and ordering the realm takes priority over the fa for governing the realm
      - Lack of security in their livelihood and inherent nature while simultaneously blaming the individual for such conduct is a surefire way of promoting socially unacceptable or disorderly conduct to Fang. Simply ruling through fa while ignoring material circumstances is untenable, as fa alone cannot right the realm nor level inequalities. To this end, Fang recommends proactive methods of government, lying outside the system of fa, wherein security in material and moral circumstances is taken as a necessary condition for the proper ordering of the realm. That is, should material and moral security fail to be granted to everyone, the realm will experience disorder that a ruler cannot simply regulate with fa to escape