Confucianism advocates the political principle of governing the country
through benevolence and winning people's support through virtue as opposed
to badao (霸道) – the despotic way. Enlightened kings and emperors of ancient
times governed the country primarily through benevolence and virtue. In the
Warring States Period, Mencius advocated this idea as a political concept: Only
by governing the state with benevolence and righteousness, and by handling
state-to-state relations on the basis of virtue, can a ruler win popular support
and subsequently unify the country. The kingly way or benevolent governance
epitomizes the Chinese people's respect for "civilization" and their opposition
to the use of force and tyranny.