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Chinese Philosopher
Song Dynasty
Zhu Xi
Name
Zhu Xi
Birth October 18, 1130
Death April 23, 1200
School/tradition Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism
Influenced by Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi
Influenced Joseph Needham, Wang Yangming, Wang Fuzhi

Zhu Xi or Chu Hsi (born October 18, 1130, Yuxi, Fujian province, China – died April 23, 1200, China) was a Song Dynasty (960-1279) Confucian scholar who became the leading figure of the School of Principle and the most influential rationalist Neo-Confucian in China. The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B Neo-Confucianism (/( is a form of Confucianism that was primarily developed during the Song Dynasty, but which can be traced back to Han Yu and Li Cheng Yi ( 1033–1107 Courtesy name Zhengshu (正叔 also known as Mr Noel Joseph Terence Montgomery Needham, CH, FRS, FBA ( December 9, 1900 – March 24 1995) was a British Life and times Born Wang Shouren (守仁 in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, his Courtesy name was Bo'an (伯安 Wang Fuzhi ( 1619–1692 Courtesy name Ernong (而农 Pseudonym Chuanshan (船山 was a Chinese philosopher of the late Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Yuxi (玉溪 Pinyin: Yùxī is a Prefecture-level city in the Yunnan province of the People's Republic of China. This article is about the People's Republic of China province Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B Neo-Confucianism (/( is a form of Confucianism that was primarily developed during the Song Dynasty, but which can be traced back to Han Yu and Li China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National His contribution to Chinese philosophy included his assigning special significance to the Analects of Confucius, the Mencius, the Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean (the Four Books), his emphasis on the investigation of things (gewu), and the synthesis of all fundamental Confucian concepts. Chinese philosophy is Philosophy written in the Chinese tradition of thought Distinguish from The Four Books, which are Shi`a Muslim collections of hadiths

Contents

Life

Names
Chinese: 朱熹
Pinyin: Zhū Xī
Wade-Giles: Chu Hsi

Zhu Xi was originally from Fujian, where his father worked as the head of various departments, but left due to disgust with government connivance with Mongol invaders. Personal Names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Wade-Giles (ˌweɪdˈʤaɪlz) sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization system (phonetic notation and Transcription) for the Mandarin This article is about the People's Republic of China province The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms From 1158 he studied under Li Tong, who followed the Neo-Confucian tradition of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi. Cheng Yi ( 1033–1107 Courtesy name Zhengshu (正叔 also known as Mr He rebuilt and taught at the famous White Deer Grotto Academy for some time. White Deer Grotto Academy ( sometimes translated as White Deer Cave Academy or White Deer Hollow Academy) was located at the foot of Wulou Peak in Throughout his life Zhu Xi was perpetually a temple guardian, preferring to study, write, and talk with other scholars in the quiet. He repeatedly declined official positions. In 1179 he was appointed a prefect and got demoted 3 years later for attacking the incompetency of some officials. There were several instances of receiving an appointment and subsequently being demoted. Even though his teachings had been severely attacked by establishment figures, almost a thousand people attended his funeral. [1] In 1241 his tablet was placed in the Confucian Temple. A Temple of Confucius or Confucian temple ( is a Temple devoted to the memory of Confucius and the sages and philosophers of Confucianism

Teachings

The Four Books

During the Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi's teachings were considered to be unorthodox. Distinguish from The Four Books, which are Shi`a Muslim collections of hadiths The word orthodox, from Greek orthodoxos "having the right opinion" from orthos ("right true straight" + doxa ("opinion Rather than focusing on the Book of Changes like other Neo-Confucians, he chose to emphasize the Four Books: the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Analects of Confucius, and the Mencius as the core curriculum for aspiring scholar officials. The I Ching ( Wade-Giles) or “Yì Jīng” ( Pinyin) also called “Classic of Changes” or “Book of Changes” is one of the oldest of the The Great Learning ( is the first of the Four books which were selected by Zhu Xi during the Song Dynasty as a foundational introduction to The Doctrine of the Mean ( composed c450 BCE is one of the Four Books, part of the Confucian canonical scriptures The Analects ( also known as the Analects of Confucius, are a record of the words and acts of the central Chinese thinker and philosopher Life Mencius also known by his birth name Meng Ke or Ko, was born in the State of Zou (simp For all these classics he wrote extensive commentaries that were not widely recognized in his time; however, they later became accepted as their standard commentaries. The Four Books served as the basis of civil service examinations all the way down to 1905. [2]

Vital force (qi), principle (li), and the Great Ultimate (taiji)

Zhu Xi maintained that all things are brought into being by the union two universal aspects of reality: qi, sometimes translated as vital (or physical, material) force; and li, sometimes translated as rational principle (or law). In traditional Chinese culture, qi (zh [[wikt氣 氣]] Pinyin qì, Wade-Giles ch'i Jyutping Li （理）is a concept found in Neo-Confucian Chinese philosophy Taiji (太極 is a state of being from Tao and Wuji. It is a state of absolute and of infinite potentiality In traditional Chinese culture, qi (zh [[wikt氣 氣]] Pinyin qì, Wade-Giles ch'i Jyutping The source and sum of li is the Taiji (Wade-Giles: Tai Chi), meaning the Great Ultimate. Wade-Giles (ˌweɪdˈʤaɪlz) sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization system (phonetic notation and Transcription) for the Mandarin The source of qi is not so clearly stated by Zhu Xi, leading some authorities to maintain that he was a metaphysical monist and others to maintain that he was a metaphysical dualist. Monism is the metaphysical and Theological view that all is one that all reality is subsumed under the most fundamental category of being or existence Dualism denotes a state of two parts The word's origin is the Latin duo, "two".

According to Zhu Xi's theory, every physical object and every person has its li and therefore has contact in its metaphysical core with the Taiji. What is referred to as the human soul, mind, or spirit is understood as the Taiji, or the supreme regulative principle, as it works its way out in a person.

Qi and li operate together in mutual dependence. They are mutually aspective in all creatures in the universe. These two aspects are manifested in the creation of substantial entities. When their activity is waxing (rapid or expansive), that is the yang energy mode. When their activity is waning (slow or contractive), that is the yin energy mode. The yang and yin phases constantly interact, each gaining and losing dominance over the other. In the process of the waxing and waning, the alternation of these fundamental vibrations, the so called five elements (fire, water, wood, metal, and earth) evolve.

In terms of li and qi, Zhu Xi's system strongly resembles Buddhist ideas of li (again, principle) and shi (affairs, matters), though Zhu Xi and his followers strongly argued that they were not copying Buddhist ideas. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Instead, they held, they were using concepts already present long before in the Book of Changes.

Zhu Xi discussed how he saw the Great Ultimate concept to be compatible with principle of Taoism, but his concept of Taiji was different from the understanding of Tao in Daoism. Where Taiji is a differentiating principle that results in the emergence of something new, Dao is still and silent, operating to reduce all things to equality and indistinguishability. He argued that there is a central harmony that is not static or empty but was dynamic, and that the Great Ultimate is itself in constant creative activity.

Human nature

Zhu Xi considered the earlier Confucian Xun Zi to be a heretic for departing from Mencius' idea of innate human goodness. Xun Zi ( ca 300 – 230 BCE was a Chinese Confucian Philosopher who lived during the Warring States Period and contributed Life Mencius also known by his birth name Meng Ke or Ko, was born in the State of Zou (simp Even if people displayed immoral behaviour, the supreme regulative principle was good. The cause of immoral actions is qi. Zhu Xi's metaphysics is that everything contains li and qi. Li is the principle that is in everything and governs the universe. Each person has a perfect li. As such, individuals should act perfectly moral. However, while li is the underlying structure, qi is also part of everything. Qi obscures our perfect moral nature. The task of moral cultivation is to clear our qi. If our qi is clear and balanced, then we will act perfectly moral.

Knowledge and action

According to Zhu Xi, knowledge comes first, but action is more important. [3] This is in contrast to Wang Yangming's doctrine of the unity of knowledge and action. Life and times Born Wang Shouren (守仁 in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, his Courtesy name was Bo'an (伯安

The investigation of things and the extension of knowledge

Zhu Xi advocated gewu, the investigation of the things. How to investigate and what these things are is the source of much debate. To Zhu Xi, the things are moral principles and the investigation involves paying attention to everything in both books and affairs[4] because "moral principles are quite inexhaustible". [5]

Religion

Zhu Xi did not hold to traditional ideas of God or Heaven (Tian), though he discussed how his own ideas mirrored the traditional concepts. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond Tian ( is one of the oldest Chinese terms for the Cosmos and a key concept in Chinese mythology, philosophy, and religion. He encouraged an agnostic tendency within Confucianism, because he believed that the Great Ultimate was a rational principle, and he discussed it as an intelligent and ordering will behind the universe. Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the He did not promote the worship of spirits and offerings to images. The English word " spirit " comes from the Latin " spiritus " (breath Although he practiced some forms of ancestor worship, he disagreed that the souls of ancestors existed, believing instead that ancestor worship is a form of remembrance and gratitude.

Meditation

Zhu Xi practiced a form of daily meditation similar to, but not the same as, Buddhist dhyana or chan ding (Wade-Giles: ch'an-ting). Meditation is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness Dhyāna in Hinduism See also Dhyana in Hinduism In Hinduism dhyana is considered to be an instrument to gain self knowledge separating maya from His meditation did not require the cessation of all thinking as in Buddhism; rather, it was characterised by quiet introspection that helped to balance various aspects of one's personality and allowed for focused thought and concentration.

His form of meditation was by nature Confucian in the sense that it was concerned with morality. His meditation attempted to reason and feel in harmony with the universe. He believed that this type of meditation brought humanity closer together and more into harmony.

On teaching, learning, and the creation of an academy

Zhu Xi heavily focused his energy on teaching, claiming that learning is the only way to sagehood. He wished to make the pursuit of sagehood attainable to all men.

He lamented more modern printing techniques and the proliferation of books that ensued. This, he believed, made students less appreciative and focused on books, simply because there were more books to read than before. Therefore, he attempted to redefine how students should learn and read. In fact, disappointed by local schools in China, he established his own academy, White Deer Hollow Academy, to instruct students properly and in the proper fashion.

Taoist and Buddhist influence on Zhu Xi

Zhu Xi wrote what was to became the orthodox Confucian interpretation of a number of concepts in Taoism and Buddhism. Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices While he appeared to have adopted some ideas from these competing systems of thought, unlike previous Neo-Confucians he strictly abided by the Confucian doctrine of active moral cultivation. He found Buddhist principles to be darkening and deluding the original mind[6] as well as destroying human relations. [7]

Zhu Xi's influence

From 1313 to 1905, Zhu Xi's commentaries on the Four Books formed the basis of civil service examinations in China. [8] His teachings were to dominate Neo-Confucians such as Wang Fuzhi, though dissenters would later emerge such as Wang Yangming and the School of Mind two and a half centuries later. Wang Fuzhi ( 1619–1692 Courtesy name Ernong (而农 Pseudonym Chuanshan (船山 was a Chinese philosopher of the late Life and times Born Wang Shouren (守仁 in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, his Courtesy name was Bo'an (伯安

His philosophy survived the Intellectual Revolution of 1917, and later Feng Youlan would interpret his conception of li, qi, and taiji into a new metaphysical theory. Feng Youlan or Fung Yu-Lan ( 1895–1990 was a Chinese philosopher who was important for reintroducing the study of Chinese philosophy.

He was also influential in Japan known as Shushigaku (朱子学, School of Zhu Xi), and in Korea known as Jujahak (주자학), where it became an orthodoxy. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.

Achievements of Zhu Xi in the art of calligraphy

This renowned neo-Confucianist, educator and thinker from Southern Sung dynasty had, from an early age, followed his father and a number of great calligraphers at the time in practicing this art. At first he learned the style of Cao Cao, but later specialized in the regular script of Zhong Yao and the running cursive script of Yan Zhenqing. As he never ceased practicing, he reached a superb level in the art characterized by overpowering strength. Since then, though his manuscripts left to the world are piecemeal and incomplete, they have been regarded as invaluable for collection. While he bequeathed to posterity quite a bit of calligraphy which has been highly acclaimed in history, it is regrettable that most of is has been lost. Moreover, since the Yuan dynasty, his school of philosophy has been adopted as the official ideology of China. His philosophy not only profoundly affected traditional Chinese thinking and culture, but also spread outside China with tremendous influence. He has been hailed as one of the ten key philosophers of the Confucian School. His fame in the realm of philosophy was so great that even his brilliance in calligraphy was overshadowed. He was skillful in both running and cursive scripts, and more especially in large characters. His extant artworks consist mainly of short written notes in running script and rarely of large characters. His authentic manuscripts are collected by Nanjing Museum, Beijing Palace Museum, Liao Ning Province Museum, China; Taipei Palace Museum and the National Museum of Tokyo, Japan. Some pieces are in private collections in China and overseas. The 《Thatched Hut Hand Scroll》, one of Zhu Xi's masterpieces in running-cursive script, is in an overseas private collection.

《Thatched Hut Hand Scroll》
《Thatched Hut Hand Scroll》

《Thatched Hut Hand Scroll》 contains three separate parts:

1) Title

2) 102 characters by Zhu Xi in running cursive scripts

3) The postscripts by Wen Tianxiang (1236～1283) of Sung dynasty, Fang Xiaoru (1375～1402), Zhu Yunming (1460-1526), Tang Yin (1470～1523) and Hai Rui (1514～1587) of the Ming dynasty. Wen Tianxiang ( June 6 1236 &ndash January 9 1283) Duke of Xinguo also Man Tin Cheung in Cantonese, was a scholar-general The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Tang Yin ( Chinese: 唐寅 Pinyin: Táng Yín 1470-1524 better known by his Courtesy name Tang Bohu (唐伯虎 though it is usually not the See also Hai Rui (basketball Hai Rui ( Wade-Giles: Hai Jui Chinese: 海瑞 ( 23 January 1514 &ndash The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led

Calligraphy Style

The calligraphy of Zhu Xi had been acclaimed as acquiring the style of the Han and Wei dynasties . He was Skillful in the central tip, and his brush strokes are smooth and round, steady yet flowing in the movements without any trace of frivolity and abruptness . Indeed, his calligraphy possesses stability and elegance in construction with a continuous flow of energy. Without trying to be pretentious or intentional, his written characters are well-balanced, natural and unconventional. As he was a patriarch of Confucianism philosophy, it is understandable that his learning permeated in all his writings with due respect for traditional standards. He maintained that while rules had to be observed for each word, there should be room for tolerance, multiplicity and naturalness. In other words, calligraphy had to observe rules and at the same time not bound by them so as to express the quality of naturalness. Its small wonder that his calligraphy had been highly esteemed throughout the centuries, by great personages as follows:

Tao Chung Yi (around 1329～1412) of Ming dynasty:

Whilst Master Zhu inherited the orthodox teaching and propagated it to the realm of sages and yet he was also proficient in running and cursive scripts, especially in large characters. The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led His execution of brush was well-poised and elegant. However piecemeal or isolated his manuscripts, they were eagerly sought after and treasured.

Wang Sai Ching (1526-1590) of Ming dynasty:

The brush strokes in his calligraphy were swift without attempting at formality, yet none of his strokes and dots were not in conformity with the rules of calligraphy. The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led

Wen Tianxiang of Sung dynasty in his postscript for the 《Thatched Hut Hand Scroll》 by Zhu Xi:

People in the olden days said that there was embedded the bones of loyal subject in the calligraphy of Yan Zhenqing. Wen Tianxiang ( June 6 1236 &ndash January 9 1283) Duke of Xinguo also Man Tin Cheung in Cantonese, was a scholar-general The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Observing the execution of brush strokes by Zhu Xi, I am indeed convinced of the truth of this opinion.

Zhu Yunming of Ming dynasty in his postscript for the 《Thatched Hut Hand Scroll》 by Zhu Xi:

Master Zhu was loyal, learned and a great scholar through out ages . The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led He was superb in calligraphy although he did not write much in his lifetime and hence they were rarely seen in later ages. This roll had been collected by Wong Sze Ma for a long time and of late, it appeared in the world. I chanced to see it once and whilst I regretted that I did not try to study it extensively until now, in the study room of my friend, I was so lucky to see it again. This showed that I am destined to see the manuscripts of master Zhu. I therefore wrote this preface for my intention.

Hai Rui of Ming dynasty in n his postscript for the 《Thatched Hut Hand Scroll》 by Zhu Xi:

The writings are enticing, delicate, elegant and outstanding. See also Hai Rui (basketball Hai Rui ( Wade-Giles: Hai Jui Chinese: 海瑞 ( 23 January 1514 &ndash The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led Truly such calligraphy piece is the wonder of nature.

Trivia

See also

Footnotes and references

  1. ^ Chan 1963: 588. Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B Neo-Confucianism (/( is a form of Confucianism that was primarily developed during the Song Dynasty, but which can be traced back to Han Yu and Li Life and times Born Wang Shouren (守仁 in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, his Courtesy name was Bo'an (伯安 Wang Fuzhi ( 1619–1692 Courtesy name Ernong (而农 Pseudonym Chuanshan (船山 was a Chinese philosopher of the late Feng Youlan or Fung Yu-Lan ( 1895–1990 was a Chinese philosopher who was important for reintroducing the study of Chinese philosophy. The Yuelu Academy (also as known as the " Yuelu Academy of Classical Learning ") is located on the east side of Yuelu Mountain in Changsha White Deer Grotto Academy ( sometimes translated as White Deer Cave Academy or White Deer Hollow Academy) was located at the foot of Wulou Peak in Classical chinese writers were trained as compilers rather than as originators composing information was a Japanese philosopher and a leading neo-Confucian of the early Tokugawa Period. Hayashi Razan (林羅山 1583 &ndash March 7 1657) also known as Hayashi Dōshun was a Japanese Neo-Confucian philosopher serving as a tutor and The was a powerful Daimyo family of Japan. They descended from Emperor Seiwa (850-880 and were a branch of the Minamoto clan (Seiwa Genji by the Hayashi Gahō (林鵞峰 (1618 &ndash 1688 also known as Hayashi Shunsai, was a Japanese Neo-Confucian scholar teacher and administrator in the system of The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the, and the, was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the Shoguns of Kaibara Ekken or Ekiken (貝原 益軒 also known as Atsunobu (篤信 1630 - October 5, 1714) was a Japanese Neo-Confucianist The, also referred to as the Tokugawa period (徳川時代 Tokugawa-jidai) is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868
  2. ^ Chan 1963: 589.
  3. ^ The Complete Works of Chu Hsi, section 20 in Chan 1963: 609.
  4. ^ The Complete Works of Chu Hsi, section 26 in Chan 1963: 609.
  5. ^ The Complete Works of Chu Hsi, section 27 in Chan 1963: 610.
  6. ^ The Complete Works of Chu Hsi, section 147 in Chan 1963: 653.
  7. ^ The Complete Works of Chu Hsi, section 138 in Chan 1963: 647.
  8. ^ Chan 1963: 589.

Further reading

Translations

External links

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