ABSTRACT
This chapter discussed a second principle of policy thought: The policy goodness theory explains the metaphysical term “goodness” that has been declared by and strived toward in policy statism. The word “goodness” may be intellectually understood on account of policy-voiced conceptions such as betterness, rightness, justice, care and recognition, and traditional values, which have been critically examined in light of philosophical ideas and thought in Confucianism and the Western literature. The ontological and instrumental reliability of “policy” goodness has been shaped and configured by the convincing value of those characters observed by Zhuxi's highest and Mencius' innate human goodness, Xunzi's thesis of the right principle and impartial politics with ill-natured humanness, and Laozi's rhetorical knowledge of water as maximum goodness. Furthermore, the policy precursor who searches for and ensures the right, better, and justifiable “goodness” in the State policy sustains the goodness principle in the study of policy thought.
