通过文字探源、文义分析与文献稽考，不难发现，中华治理传统中的“德”，特指国家与社会的治理者与其治下人民间形成的互惠互利关系。就治国者而言，“德”主要强调其运用所掌握的公共权力为治下之人民造福、谋利、促进社会发展的责任，并因其履行该责任而获取其治下人民的拥护与支持。“德治”乃是在“德”的统帅下，综合运用“礼”“政”“刑”等多种治国之端寻求至治的路径。中国人在“祖述尧舜”“宪章文武”的历史建构过程中，确立了“圣王施惠于民，万民报以拥戴”的治理模式，明确了圣王应以宽和、均平、共享利益之道博取众人之心，而经周人“礼乐之治”的发扬，得出“乐惠能施”“陈锡哉周”的“礼治”之道。这样的“德礼为本”“政教为用”的治理路径，充分反映了中华文明治理传统中以惠民、均平、共享、有序为核心理念的正义观念。

Through etymological research, semantic analysis, and literature review, it is easy to find that in the Chinese governance tradition the concept of "De" refers specifically to a mutually beneficial relationship between the rulers and people under their rule. In this relationship, the ruler has distributed a duty to urging his imperium to benefit all his subjects and to promote the development of the society. As a reward, the people will support and crown the ruler as king. The “Rule of De” is a path which under the leadership of "De", and through multiple types of rules, systems, and methods such as Li (the rite or etiquette), Zheng (politics), and Xing (criminal law) to seek a good government. In the process of the historical construction of ' following the path from the sage Yao and Shun ' and 'making King Wen and King Wu’s legislation as the ruling prototype', the Chinese people established a governance model of the sage benefits the people, and the people rewards support to the sage', then established a typical governance pattern: the sage king should rule the country by the way of magnanimous, equality, impartiality and sharing the interest to gain the favor and support of the people. In the Zhou dynasty, this governance pattern turns to a system of Li and Yue which followed the way of benefit distribution. The governance path of "make the De and Li as the foundation and purpose" and the "politics and punishment as the method", embodied the traditional Chinese conception of justice: benefiting the people, equality, impartiality, and sharing an interest.