To implement the mechanism for co-construction and sharing of resources in the Lingshui Li’an International Education and Innovation Zone, broaden students’ academic horizons and facilitate their all-round development, the Institute organized students on October 25 to attend the inaugural lecture of the “Lingshui Bay · New Law Lecture Hall” hosted by Hainan International Institute of China University of Political Science and Law. Professor Luo Xiang from China University of Political Science and Law delivered a lecture entitled The Moral Dimension of the Rule of Law, presenting an intellectually stimulating session with profound legal reasoning and humanistic warmth for the young audience present.
During the lecture, Professor Luo Xiang integrated philosophical reflections, traditional allusions and judicial practice cases to conduct an in-depth analysis of the internal logic between the rule of law and morality. Citing Kant’s assertion that “human nature is such a crooked timber”, he objectively dissected the complexity of human nature and illustrated that the core value of law lies in restraining wrongdoing and setting the baseline for society. He clearly defined the boundary between the two: morality is rooted in self-discipline, while law constitutes heteronomy, and law represents the minimum moral constraint imposed on members of society.
“We cannot draw a perfect circle in reality, yet the idea of a perfect circle truly exists.” Using this metaphor, Professor Luo explained that fairness and justice constitute an objective value pursuit. Although absolute perfection can hardly be achieved in reality, the pursuit of justice remains a cause worthy of unwavering commitment. At the closing of the lecture, Professor Luo shared the story of the Unknown Tombstone at Westminster Abbey to encourage young students to engage in regular introspection, restrain selfish desires and achieve growth through constant self-reflection.
Students listened attentively and took careful notes throughout the session. Through critical thinking, they experienced the integration of rationality inherent to the rule of law and humanistic care, cultivated critical thinking and established awareness of behavioural boundaries. After the lecture, many students exchanged insights based on their learning experience.
Dai Zichuan from Class 4, Computer Science, Entry Cohort 2026, remarked, “This lecture went beyond superficial explanations of legal provisions. It helped us understand the rule of law from the origins of human nature and morality. I have come to realise that the pursuit of justice is itself a commitment we ought to uphold.”
Han Chengqi from Class 1, Computer Science, Entry Cohort 2026, commented, “The statement ‘morality is self-discipline while law is heteronomy’ gives much food for thought. As young people, we should not only hold ourselves to higher moral standards, but also clarify the boundaries of conduct, abide by legal bottom lines, and learn to be rational and inclusive.”
Leveraging the “Five Mutuals and One Sharing” resource-sharing platform of the Pilot Zone, inter-university academic activities have become an important vehicle for the Institute’s talent cultivation. Building on the strengths of the Li’an Pilot Zone, the Institute will continue to smooth channels for academic exchanges between universities, extend classroom-based education through diversified cross-campus academic events, highlight the educational features of Sino-foreign cooperative education, and consolidate the outcomes of comprehensive education. The Institute will keep establishing high-level platforms for inter-university learning and exchange, guiding students to step beyond conventional classrooms and draw nourishment from diverse ideas, so that they may grow into new-era youth who distinguish right from wrong and maintain a sense of reverence. (Text by Sun Haoyang; Photos by Zhang Kaiwen, Student Union)
