Self-cultivation, family management, state governance, and bringing peace to all under heaven
This is a quotation from Da Xue (The Great Learning). It means that one should first cultivate oneself, then manage the family, govern the state, and bring peace to all under heaven. During this expanding process, a person's virtue and attainment are closely related with their political goals at different levels. This is an important subject of Confucian philosophy and a political ideal of ancient Chinese scholars. The quotation is a good summary of the process of learning and reflects the Confucian view on virtue and politics, starting with an individual and then expanding to the family, the region and the whole country.
Xi Jinping has more than once used this quotation to describe the deep love of Chinese scholars for the country. On one occasion in May 2014, when talking with the faculty and students of Peking University, he referred to this classic concept and encouraged the students to cultivate morality and virtue and prepare themselves for state governance.
修身、齐家、治国、平天下
“修身、齐家、治国、平天下”，出自《大学》，意指以个人自身修养为基础，先治理好家庭，进而实行仁政德治，治理好国家，更进而安抚和治理天下百姓，最终求得天下太平。在这一层层扩展的过程中，个人的德性和修养与不同层面的政治抱负息息相关。这是中国古代儒家哲学和政治抱负的重要命题，是对“大学之道”的概括，体现了儒家思想由个人到家庭再到邦国进而到天下的逐步递进的道德政治观。
中共十八大以来，习近平多次在讲话中谈及中国知识分子“修身、齐家、治国、平天下”的家国情怀。2014年5月，习近平在北京大学和师生座谈时便引用了这一经典理念，论述如何成就崇高德性和人格，怎样成为经国济世的人才。