Such values owe their origin to the “original Confucianism” of Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi, which existed before Confucianism became established as state orthodoxy. In imperial times, the critical tradition was carried forward by such scholars as Huang Zongxi.
此类价值观来源于独尊儒术之前的“原本儒家”、孟子和荀子。在帝王时代，黄宗羲等学者秉承批评传统。如今，新儒家左派人士甘阳等人呼吁建立“儒家社会主义共和国”。