History of the Evolution of Li Zan's Thought

Author: Xu Jianping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: This book takes the important modern Chinese thinker Li Zhi as its research subject, shifting from the conventional static analysis of his thought products to a dynamic description of the process of his thought generation. It thus becomes a pioneering work in the history of thought that vividly portrays the diachronic evolution of Li Zhi's ideas. Based on Li Zhi's life events and chronological arrangement of his writings, the book focuses on the Xinxue (Heart-Mind School) thought closely related to literature, examining the influence of Islam, Confucianism, Xinxue, Lao-Zhuang philosophy, Buddhism, and the everyday wisdom of the common people on the nurturing, formation, and evolution of Li Zhi's thought, and re-examining many key aspects of his ideas. The book reveals the relationship between Islam and Li Zhi's (obsessive cleanliness) habits, his fondness for cleanliness, and his belief in purity as truth and beauty. It meticulously explores the connections between Li Zhi's doctrines such as "emptiness arising from conditions" (), "absolute emptiness" (), "unity of the ordinary and the sacred" (), and "playing with life" () and Buddhism. It analyzes the formation of the "natural emptiness" () doctrine in relation to Lao-Zhuang philosophy. It argues the philosophical structure, anti-rational essence, and shortcomings of "The Theory of the Child's Mind" (). It examines Li Zhi's dual cultural personality of "craziness and strangeness" () and "non-contention with the world" () and its evolution. These insights are often unprecedented. Due to its thorough research, novel perspectives, emphasis on both speculation and empirical evidence, and numerous original contributions, the book has elevated the study of Li Zhi's thought to a new level.