「義」之概念在早期中國思想中有一演化過程，且相應於早期中國「邦邑」共同體的維繫狀況。前諸子時代，「義」乃指相對於私情好惡之偏向，城邦共同體「成員」之公道正直之「德能」，其特別關涉「城邦」之「公事」之域，所謂義「益」邦政。在開啟諸子時代的孔子那裡，面對「邦邑」共同體的危機，其將「義」由限定於「公事」之域的「職責」要求轉為個體自我（「己」）修身的內在要求，所謂「惟義是從」，故通過義∕利之辨而將「邦邑」的維持建立在君子結盟的基礎上。及至孟子，通過「義」的內在化，將孔子作為行為原則的「義」轉為作為「德性」的「義」，以「士」這一知識主體的道德心性挺立來應對德∕政分離之現狀，此一做法也指示了早期中國「邦邑」共同體瓦解之命運。

As a kind of virtue, the meaning of “Righteousness” had evolved in the period of Spring and Autumn and Warring states, which is related to the situation of the city community in ancient China. In pre-philosophical schools, “Righteousness” refers to a virtue applied into the field of the public issue of city community, opposed to stick to personal taste in the private area. Faced with the crisis of the city community, Confucius tried to construct an alliance of “gentleman” to support the city community. To Confucius, a gentleman could behave following the principle of “Righteousness”, but not the principle of “Benefit”. As to Menius, a master after Confucius, “Righteousness” is not just limited in the area of human’s action, but belong to human’s mind nature. Since “Righteousness” is inherent in human’s mind, then a gentleman can achieve goodness according to “Righteousness” In other words, due to the rise of the power of king, Menius strengthened the gentleman’s moral consciousness, but gave up setting up the city community.