政權合法性針對的是統治能否得到被統治者認可的問題。統治者爲了獲得認可, 需要進行政權合法性建構。中國古代形成了一套政權合法性觀念, 大致可分爲來源合法性與治理合法性兩個方面。雖然古代也重視來源合法性, 推崇以和平穩定、優質高效的禅讓制實現政權交替, 但是, 古人眞正看重的乃是治理合法性。治理合法性是政權合法性的充要條件, 其核心是正德利用厚生, 而來源合法性只是輔助條件。

Politics in ancient China paid much attention to the legitimacy of the political power, which mainly referred to the approval of the people. The idea of the legitimacy of power contains two topics: the legitimacy of the source, and that of governance. Ancient Chinese stressed on the legitimacy of the source; they advocated the peaceful and effective non-hereditary imperial succession to ensure a steady transfer of power. However, what they really cared was the legitimacy of governance. The latter is the necessary and sufficient condition to the former. The core of the legitimacy of governance is to straighten the virtue, to facilitate the necessity, and to enrich the life. The legitimacy of the origin is but an auxiliary condition. [Article in Chinese]