From the Confucianism and natural law perspective, the public and moral characteristics of "Bankoku Koho" were considered to have been derived from heaven (nature); however, from the 'social evolutionism' perspective, this same heaven was said to promote competition between countries in order to facilitate their evolution through friendly rivalry.
儒教的・自然法的な『万国公法』理解は、その公的・道徳的性格は天（自然）に由来するものだと受け止められていたが、「社会進化論」においてはその同じ天が各国間の競争を促し切磋琢磨することで進化させるのだと説いた。