"中國——一個幅員遼闊、疆域寬廣的大國 ，一個多民族聚居、人口眾多的大國 ，一個文明傳承5000年依然興盛的大國 ，何以多次改朝換代而歷久彌新？ 國家治理既有其“道”，也有其“術”。經歷了5000年風雨的洗禮沉澱，疆域、人口、民族、歷史、文化這些基本的國家要素，鑄就了中華民族國家治理的基本理念、基本制度和基本方法。 如果把古代中國治理比喻為一艘大船，那麼思想理念就是羅盤針、是導引，制度安排就是船體、是基本結構，方法運用則是風帆和船槳。思想、制度、方法，以各等

●Preface
Part One Philosophies
Ⅰ.The Harmony Between Man and Nature
Ⅱ.The Commonwealth of the World for All
Ⅲ.People-oriented Thinking
Ⅳ.Human-heartedness：Loving Others
Ⅴ.Promoting the Ⅴirtuous and Appointing the Capable
Ⅵ.Governance Through Non—action
Ⅶ.Rghteousness Over Profit
Ⅷ.Cultivating Rituals to Govern the Country
Ⅸ.Harmonizing All States
Ⅹ.Sageliness Within and Kingliness Without
Ⅺ.Humanistic Cultivation
Ⅻ.Preparedness for the Future
ⅩⅢ.Attack by Stratagem
Part Two Systems
Ⅰ.EmperoriSm to Unify the Nation
Ⅱ.Decentralization System：Checks and Balances
Ⅲ.System of Prefectures and Counties for Smooth Implementation of Government Decrees
Ⅳ.Council for Tribal Affairs：A Policy of Control Through Conciliation
The Diplomatic System：Using Both the Stick and the Carrot
Ⅴ.Official Selection System：Promoting the Ⅴirtuous and the Capable
Ⅶ.The Supervision Systems for Officials
Ⅷ.The Land System：Distribution on Households
Ⅸ.Household Registration and Ⅴerification for Tax and Corvre
Ⅹ.The State owned Economic System：The Lifeline
Ⅺ.The System of Rituals and Laws
Ⅻ.The Educational System：Cultivating Talents for the Official Reserves
ⅩⅢ.History Compiling System：Learning from the Past
Part Three Methodology
Ⅰ.Extension of Knowledge Through Investigation of Things
Ⅱ.Reform and Innovation
ⅡⅠ.Unity of Knowledge and Practice
Ⅳ.The Doctrine of the Mean
Ⅴ.A Just Cause Allies Abundant Support While an Unjust One Finds Little
Ⅵ.Pooling the Wisdom and Working Together
Ⅶ.Be Ⅴirtuous and Prudent in Punishment
Ⅷ.Be Alert to Danger in Times of Peace
Ⅸ.A Straw Shows Which Way the Wind Blows
Epilogue

中國在歷朝歷代的演進中，形成了極為豐富、繫統完整又頗具特色的國家治理體繫。本書從思想理念、制度安排和方法運用三個方面對這個結構進行了分析。在思想觀念方面，總結提出十三個基本概念，涵蓋了古代中國治理最基本的思想主張，涉及自然觀、世界觀、道德觀、價值觀、生態觀、治理觀等等。在制度安排方面，編者概括出四大制度體繫。在方法運用方面，提煉了九大方法，既是古代中國政治家治國理政的經典智慧，也是中國人在漫長的歷史過程中所積澱形成的基本的文化性格和思維方式，是中國人最為典型的精神氣質。