中国自古以来政治体制都是统一的集权模式，因此很多人会批判中华大地是“专制的土壤”。实际上，与西方所谓的“骑士精神”——要求对领主无条件服从，不同的地方在于，中国的君主都要实行“仁政”，即“德政”，如果不行“仁政”，“天命”就会降下灾难惩罚百姓，并且重新选一个新的明君以推翻不仁。
殷商时期，神灵对人的影响仍无处不在，如礼记所说：“殷人尊神，率民以事神，先鬼而后礼”，相比而言周人却“尊礼尚施，事鬼敬神而远之，近人而忠焉”。但是也有诗经云：“殷鉴不远，在夏后之世”，希望统治阶层能吸取夏朝末年的教训，以德治理，说明人文主义的思潮已萌发于殷商。这一观点到周朝已极为发达。周王朝建立者推翻殷商后，为证明其统治合法性，强调天命的概念，统治者自称是天命派下来的“天子”。《诗经·烝民》有云：“天监有周，昭假于下；保兹天子，生仲山甫”。周人宣称，虽然商人曾禀受天命，治理天下，但因玩忽职守，自绝天命。周王朝的建立者因具有美德，所以天命转移到他身上。无疑，周王朝的前途如何，视其未来是否有德而定。正如《诗经·维天之命》所说：“骏惠我文王，曾孙笃之”。
因此，中国哲学史的特色——“仁”，便是起源于殷周时期。但是与西方人文主义不同的是，中国哲学所谓的仁，它并不否认或忽略超越力量，而是主张天人可以合一。此“天”的概念已于殷商之前所祭祀侍奉的“神灵”概念不同，它是一种人的德性与努力所修饰的人格力量。在这种意义下，早在中国思想肇端之初，人文主义已是居主流地位的思潮。这也为孔子的仁政理论和后代王朝的合法性更替奠定的基础。
Since the political system of China has been a centralized mode of centralization from the ancient times, many people will criticize the land of China as the "autocratic soil." In fact, unlike the so-called "knightly spirit" of the West, which requires unconditional obedience to the lord, the difference lies in the fact that all Chinese monarchs should do "benevolent government" or "moral government." If "benevolent government" is not adopted, "the God's will" will put down the calamity to punish the people, and re-elect a new bright king to overthrow the old.
During the Shang period, the influence of gods on people is still everywhere. As 《 Book of Rites》 says, "The people of Yin (Shang) honor spiritual beings, serve them, and put them ahead of ceremonies." In comparison, "The people of Chou honor ceremonies and highly value the conferring of favors." However, there is also a poem in the Book of Rites: "The beacon of Yin is not far-distant ;It is in the age of the sovereign of Xia.", which express a hope that the ruling class can learn the lessons of the end of the Xia and govern the nation with virtue. We can see that the humanism has emerged in Yin (Shang). This view in the Book of Rites has been extremely developed by the Chou Dynasty. After the founder of the Chou dynasty overthrew the Shang merchants, in order to prove its legitimacy of legitimacy and emphasize the concept of heavenly fate, the rulers claimed to be the "emperor" whom the God sent down. 《Books of rites · The Teeming Multitude 》says: “Heaven, looking down upon the House of Chou; Sees that its light reaches the people below. And to protect the Son of Heaven, Gave birth to Chung Shan-fu [to help him]." The Chou asserted, therefore, that the Shang, though they had received the mandate to rule, had forfeited it because they failed in their duties.The mandate then passed on to the founders of Chou, who deserved it because of their virtue. Obviously, the future of the house of Chou depended upon whether future rulers were virtuous. As 《 Book of Rites · The Mandate of Heaven》 says：“They are a great favor from our King Wen. May his descendants hold fast to them.”
Therefore, the characteristic of the history of Chinese philosophy, "benevolence", originated from the Yin and Chou dynasties. However, unlike the humanism in the west, what Chinese philosophy calls "benevolence" does not deny or slight a Superme Power, but professes the unity of man and Heaven. The Heaven here has been different with the spiritual beings in the Shang. It was a supreme spiritual reality which was modified by human virtue and human effort. In this sense, humanism has dominated Chinese thought from the dawn of its history. This ideology also laid the foundation for Confucius's theory of benevolent government and the succession of the dynastic legitimacy of future generations.
