Dilemma and Transformation: An Interpretation of Huang Zongxi's Philosophical Texts

Author: Cheng Zhihua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The author summarizes Huang Zongxi's academic transformation into five aspects: In the theory of generation, it achieved a transformation from "fragmented to integrated"; in the theory of metaphysics, it realized a transformation from "material metaphysics back to moral metaphysics"; in the theory of human nature, it achieved a transformation from "following one's nature and indulging in emotions to pure heavenly principle without desires"; in the theory of cultivation, it realized a transformation from "extending innate knowledge to the idea that cultivation reaches its metaphysics"; in the theory of the sage-king, it achieved a transformation from "internal sage to the simultaneous cultivation of both internal sage and external king." Based on these five aspects, the author positions Huang Zongxi as a Chinese philosopher during the "transformation of Confucian thought." The views proposed in this book not only explore what others have not thought and discover what predecessors have not, but are also "reasonably argued and well-supported." Although the book focuses on Huang Zongxi's philosophy, it covers a wide range of topics, and the author strives to examine Huang Zongxi's philosophy within the broader context of the development of Confucian philosophy. In this sense, the book's intention belongs to the category of "making a mountain out of a molehill." "Making a mountain out of a molehill" has both advantages and disadvantages. Its advantage is that it delves deep, allowing one to see the big picture in the small; its disadvantage is that it may not fully explore or clarify some of the issues involved.