Were the so-called " righteous gentlemen " in Chinese history all hypocrites? On the surface, he was elegant and gentle, but on the inside, he was indeed full of schemes.
This question involved the political morality and values of ancient Chinese society, as well as the meaning of the word "gentleman". In ancient Chinese society," gentleman " referred to those who abided by public order and good customs, upheld moral standards, kept their words and deeds consistent, and were loyal and upright. They were often seen as perfect personalities, but not necessarily hypocrites. In Chinese history, there were indeed some " gentlemen " who appeared elegant and gentle on the surface, but were actually full of schemes in their hearts. They might cover up their true intentions through superficial hypocrisy or adopt means to achieve their own goals. However, it should be noted that the political moral concepts and values of ancient Chinese society were not the moral concepts and values in the modern sense. Therefore, the moral standards of modern society could not be simply applied to evaluate the "righteous gentlemen" of ancient society. In addition, there were also some "righteous gentlemen" who would resort to unscrupulous means to achieve their political goals. This could not be simply equated with hypocrites.
