Abstract: Paying attention to Heavenly Principle and emphasizing the notion of the normative principle are important characteristics of Chinese moral culture.The Song and Ming Confucians took heaven as the foundation and explained the rationality of moral value through the conception of the unity of nature and man,which was especially reflected in their defense of the value principle of“Priority of Righteousness”.From the point of view of the connection between heaven and man,the difference between heaven and man,and the compatibility between heaven and man,they concentrated on the moral metaphysical basis,internal basis and practical basis of“Priority of Righteousness”,demonstrated the moral principle of taking justice as the connotation,neutralization as the foundation,and moral practice as the destination,and highlighted the moral characteristics of Chinese moral culture.

Key words: Confucianism of Song and Ming Dynasties, Priority of Righteousness, moral principles, theoretical ground