The thesis takes the Pre-Qin eclectics as research object. Although scholars of eclecticism did generally not form their own schools, their academic thoughts and monographs were an important part of Pre-Qin period academic history. Reflecting the characteristics of compatibility and systematicity—and with the political pragmatism of “Wang Zhi” as their core—the eclectics adopted the different theoretical methods of various schools to discuss philosophical propositions such as nature, human nature, epistemology and the relationship between heaven and man. Some of the eclectics’ representative works include Shizi, Gongsunlongzi, and Lü shi Chunqiu.
The research plans to explore and review the value philosophy contents of Pre-Qin eclectics from the perspective of axiology, and focuses on the practical value from a political aspect, the dialectical relationship between personal and public values, social ideal values, ecological values and the ultimate value of Pre-Qin eclectics, and tries to explore the possibility of using axiology as the main research method to analyze Chinese Pre-Qin philosophy.