Neo-Confucianism emerged in response to the rise of Buddhism and Daoism in China. It sought to integrate Confucianism with elements of these philosophies. Two main schools developed - the School of Principle focused on li (principle or law) and qi (material force) and was led by Zhu Xi, while the School of Mind focused on gaining knowledge through reflection and action and was led by Wang Yangming. Zhu Xi's synthesis established Neo-Confucianism as the dominant ideology and his Four Books became the standard texts for civil service exams, spreading Neo-Confucian influence throughout East Asia over subsequent centuries.
5. Qi : physical basics, matter and energy,
philosophical and scientific concept
Li: principle or patterns
Qi manifests itself according to Li
Physical objects manifest themselves according to its
law or principle
Neo-Confucianism concepts
7. Two schools within the Neo-Confucianism
School of Principle: Chu-hsi (朱熹)
School of Mind-heart: Wang Yangming (王阳明)
Two Schools
8. Zhu Xi (Chu Hsi, 1130-1200)
The great synthesizer of
Neo-Confucianism who
combined the philosophies
of earlier Song Neo-
Confucian masters
The organizer of the
“School of Principle”
(lixue) within the Neo-
Confucian tradition
9. The founder of Chinese intellectual tradition largely based
on the education of the “Four Books” (1190).
The Analects of Confucius
The Mencius
The Great Learning
The Doctrine of the Mean
Wrote commentaries for these four books
Textbook for the civil service examination
10. Zhu Xi devoted forty years to the Four Books,
writing commentaries on them until three
days before he died.
His commentaries superseded other
commentaries because of its new and
innovative interpretations of Confucian ideas.
11. The foremost of Confucian teachers who conducted his education,
spread his teaching, and reaffirmed Confucian tradition of teaching
through private academy (shuyuan)
Aside from Confucius, the most influential Chinese
philosopher/educator, whose influence extended to Korea,
Vietnam, and Japan for many generations, till the present time.
13. Possible Zhu Xi’s calligraphy recently discovered, a
thirty-page album, auction price $400,000
14. Jin si lu (近思录)
Zhu’s synthesis of the
philosophies of earlier
masters is best
illustrated/represented in
his book called
Jin si lu (近思录)
(Reflections on Things Near
at Hand)
compiled in 1175.
15. Jin si lu (近思录)
is the first anthology of Neo-Confucianism
Its impacts outside of China:
8 Korean annotations from the 16th to
19th century
27 Japanese annotations from the 17th
century to the present day
Partial stele inscription of Zhu Xi’s calligraphy
16. Chu-hsi refined the concept of Li (principle)
Clarified its relationship with Qi (the basic things, the
matter or energy, material force)
Further developed the concept of Taiji
(the Great Ultimate), by bringing the doctrine of
humaneness (humanity, ren) to culmination
The school of principle
17. • On the importance of li (principle):
“As there is a thing, there is principle.”
“Before heaven and earth existed, there was
principle.”
On the importance of qi (material force):
“In the universe, there has never been any material
force without principle or principle without
material force”
Qi (气) and Li (理)
18. The Functions of Principle
Principle causes the mysterious union of yin
and yang. It also causes the production and
reproduction of myriad things and their
unending transformation.
19. Because there are principles of
activity and tranquility, material
force becomes active or tranquil;
it is because of these principles
that there is activity which
produced the material force of
yang and there is tranquility
which produced the material
force of yin.”
20. 格物致知
to study the phenomena of nature in order to
acquire knowledge; to study the nature of things
And to be able to follow the three cardinal guides
(ruler guides subject, father guides son and
husband guides wife) and the five constant
virtues
The way to understand the li
21. 存天理, 灭人欲
Keeping the Nature’s Law and putting out the
lust.
Nature’s law
the three cardinal guides (ruler guides
subject, father guides son and husband guides
wife) and the five constant virtues
Political implications
22. “饮食，天理也；山珍海味，人欲也。夫妻，天理
也；三妻四妾，人欲也。”
Eating food for survival is natural to human
being, but always wanting to eat a feast of delicacies
is a lust. Wanting to have a spouse is natural, but
wanting to have many wives and concubines is a lust.
23. One has to restrain his/her so that they can follow the
three guidelines and five relationships
This had been adopted by the ruling class to control
common people’s behavior
Therefore, Chu- hsi has been severely criticized for
this
25. Both the school of principle and Mind-heart
agreed that there is a reality- Li (理)
Similarities
26. 1. the way to make sense of Li
School of principle 格物致知
study things and
then understand Li
School of mind-heart 心即理也
turn inward to find li
inward reflection
differences
27. Wang at the beginning was
A follower of the school of
Principle
Disagreed with its way
to understand Li
28. 2. knowledge and action
School of principle: have to know before act
theory first, then action
school of mind-heart: knowledge and action must be
united, the two happen at the same time
You learn while you do
29. Japan
And four Asian Tigers
Korea
Taiwan
Hong Kong
Singapore
Influence in Asian countries
