先秦儒家的孔子、孟子及荀子共同思考的課題，即是如何回復周文禮制的社會價值。不管是從「克己復禮」、「為仁由己」的仁學實踐，或是荀子針對人自然之性發展而得的「化性起偽」，皆是朝向儒家道德實踐的目標－修己安人。荀子尤其針對人的社會性作深入探討，他的關切重點即在從個體的「化性起偽」到群體的「明分使群」，使得個體知其位份，守其根本，發揮社會職份之功能，在尋求合理分配社會資源的原則下，建立一個有秩序、合理穩定的社會結構，荀子的「明分使群」觀念，確立在個體與群體互動關係中的應有價值與定位，並且是預為建立禮法規範的先聲，固然法在禮中，但已觸及解決「人欲與利益」調和的問題，亦可看出「法」已逐漸顯現其價值意義。

The subject that make Confucius, Mencius and Xunzi all think deeply together of the pre-Qin period, namely how to reply the social value that the etiquette is made in Zho dynasty. No matter from “restrain oneself by reinstate of replying”, “To benevolence by the own” make benevolence put into practice, or Xunzi to people natural development, it is orientation the Confucianists goal that morals practice that to practice one's moral culture own to set up all people. Xunzi is especially to doing the deeply discussion socially of people, concern of him especially promptly in from individual to colony, make individuals know their each, keep its thoroughly, give play to the function of one of the social duty, under the principle of seeking to distribute social resources rationally, set up in good order, social structure rational to be steady, the ones that were established in individual's relation of interacting with colony should be valuable and making a reservation, and in order to built a rule by law in advance, although the law in etiquette, but has already touched and solved the problem that it I mediated that people want with the interests, can also find out the value of the rule by law has already manifested its social effect gradually.