"Enter to newline does not need to be translated, return as it is, all other Chinese should be translated into English: Virtual gas phase is -- Zhang Zai's philosophical system and its positioning

Author: Ding Weixiang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-12-01
Features: Weixiang is a native of Guanzhong, possessing the pragmatic and sincere temperament of the Guanzhong people. As a Guanzhong scholar studying Guanzhong studies, Weixiang inherited the academic tradition of his mentor, Professor Chen Junmin. Professor Chen has dedicated over forty years to researching Guanzhong studies and the philosophy of the Song and Ming dynasties, meticulously organizing and interpreting, discarding and integrating, creating original interpretations, and achieving remarkable accomplishments, renowned both domestically and internationally. Although he has moved to the lakeside of West Lake, he has not forgotten his roots in Guanzhong and has been committed to spreading Guanzhong studies and the philosophy of the Song and Ming dynasties across the world. Among his disciples, many have deeply studied the philosophy of the Song and Ming dynasties, including Guanzhong studies, and Weixiang is one of the outstanding among them. In the mid-1980s, Weixiang studied under several kind and wise elders at Shaanxi Normal University and received rigorous training in the comparative study of Chinese and Western philosophy. After graduation, he remained at the university, teaching and researching, making significant progress. His works, such as Practice and Transcendence: An Interpretation, Analysis, and Evaluation of Wang Yangming's Philosophy, demonstrate exceptional insight and are on par with the best of his contemporaries, revealing the diligence of his scholarship and the depth of his thought. He possesses a solid foundation in philosophy and the history of philosophy. In the mid-1990s, Weixiang decided to leave Guanzhong to enrich himself and came to the land of Jingchu, the eastern shore of Lake Donghu, and the foot of Mount Luojia in Wuhan, often engaging in intellectual discussions with us and seeking guidance from our teachers, Professor Xiao Fu, Professor Li Deyong, and Professor Tang Mingbang. Weixiang embodies the effort of deep learning and profound reflection described by Mencius, diligently digging wells until he reaches the spring. During his three years of study at Wuhan University, he worked hard to select the latest achievements in the study of Chinese and Western philosophy at home and abroad, broadening his horizons and elevating his perspective, while actively participating in discussions on cutting-edge issues in the history of Chinese and Western philosophical thought. In the doctoral program I supervised, such as the original texts and classics of pre-Qin and Song-Ming philosophy, and the methodology of philosophy history (especially hermeneutics in Chinese and Western philosophy), Weixiang made particularly significant contributions. From his recent influential academic papers published in journals like Academic Monthly, Journal of Chinese Philosophy History, Wuhan University Journal, and Culture China, as well as his monograph A Critical Biography of the Academic Thought of Xiong Shili published by the Beijing Library Press, we can see the solid foundation of his scholarship, the vitality of his thought, and his originality. However, what truly represents Weixiang's new level of achievement is his doctoral dissertation, which he successfully defended in May 1999. The external reviewers and members of the defense committee, including Professors Pan Fuen, Meng Peiyuan, Zhang Liwen, Mou Zhongjian, Liu Weihua, Yang Guorong, Xiong Tieji, Xiao Naofu, Li Deyong, Li Weiwu, and Tian Wenjun, gave full affirmation and provided constructive questions and suggestions for revision. This book is a carefully revised version based on the author's doctoral dissertation. The topic of this book is highly meaningful and valuable. On one hand, this is because Zhang Zai is an immortal giant in the history of Chinese philosophical thought and spiritual culture, and an important founder of the philosophy of the Song and Ming dynasties, which has had a profound influence on East Asia and even the world. His philosophical thought is extremely rich in content. On the other hand, research on Zhang Zai is diverse and full of differing opinions, urgently needing someone to summarize and elevate it, especially to provide an interpretation from a new starting point, in the context of the interaction between tradition and modernity, East and West. What creative contributions has the author made to the study of Zhang Zai and the philosophy of the Song and Ming dynasties? First, the author thoroughly reviewed all materials on the study of Zhang Hongqi since the Song dynasty, especially the past fifty years, both domestically and internationally, and discovered some issues. For example, the relationship between Taihu and Qi, nature and the Dao, the connection between Zhengmeng and Ximing, the influence of the Two Chengs on the evaluation of Zhangzi, and how to locate Zhangzi within a specific philosophical lineage. Previous researchers had their own biases, but Weixiang transcended and redefined them. Regarding the learning of Zhang Hongqi, those who criticized or praised it were all positioned within the framework of Qi studies, but Weixiang strongly disagreed. He was not bound by conventional views and focused on interpreting the greatness of Zhang Hongqi's learning, proposing a framework that combines metaphysics and cosmology, resolving the unresolved debates in Zhang Zai's studies over the past fifty years, and redefining Zhangzi's philosophy. Second, starting from the intellectual background of the rise of Neo-Confucianism in the Song dynasty and the problem awareness in Zhang Zai's exploration, the author reveals the cosmological ontology composed of the unity of Taihu and Qi, and the practical theory of human life composed of the unity of the nature of heaven and earth and the nature of temperament. Weixiang argues that not only does the transition from cosmological ontology to the practical theory of human life represent the continuous flow of one void and one Qi, but Taihu and Qi, as well as the nature of heaven and earth and the nature of temperament, are also "rolled into one" in a single theory. Zhang Zai did not fall into the so-called "dualism of Qi and nature" or the "binary theory of Qi and nature." "To exhaust the divine transformation and unite heaven and man," only by integrating the Six Classics, the Lunyu, and the Mengzi into one can we truly grasp the essence of Zhangzi. The author aims to revitalize a holistic Zhangzi and Zhangzi's learning, affirming that Zhang Hongqi, with "Taihe" and "Taihu" as the core, made creative interpretations in the categories of the Dao, life, sincerity, and the divine, laying the theoretical foundation for the philosophy of the Song and Ming dynasties. Third, closely following the thread from cosmology to metaphysics to the theory of human life, the author analyzes the academic evolution process from Zhou Dunyi, Shao Yong, Zhang Zai, the Two Chengs, Zhu Xi, Xiang Shan, Wang Yangming, Wang Tingxiang to Wang Shicheng. The author dedicates effort to studying the academic relationships between Zhang Zai and the Two Chengs, and between Zhang Zai and Zhu Xi, analyzing the reasons why the Two Chengs criticized Zhengmeng and praised Ximing, as well as the different attitudes of Zhu Xi toward Zhang Zai—affectionate versus detached—and the distinct selections of Ming-Qing Xinxue and Qixue schools toward Zhang Zai. The author affirms the dual-wing framework of Zhang Zai's philosophy—advancing both the unity of heaven and man and the unity of function and application, as well as the natural and actual—certainly shaping the development and culmination of Neo-Confucianism, restoring and re-establishing Zhang Zai's position in the history of the philosophy of the Song and Ming dynasties. Fourth, in his interpretations of "the unity of void and Qi," "the unity of nature and the Dao," "the dual progress of clarity and sincerity," and "the unity of all living things," the author highlights the modern significance and value of Zhang Zai's philosophy, contributing to the creative interpretation and modern transformation of traditional philosophy. Especially by introducing the concepts of the ought-to-be and the actual, he analyzes the nature of heaven and earth and the nature of temperament, indeed revealing what others have not yet seen. Following Zhang Zai's path of the unity of void and Qi, the author argues that he proposed the principle of combining metaphysics and cosmology through the dual unity of the natural and the actual, a framework that is also a creative achievement. The author believes that Zhang Zai, moving from heaven to man, from man to heaven, from sage to commoner, and from commoner to sage, not only pursues the ultimate rational realm of transcendence and the metaphysical level but also cares for the internal, empirical level of the real society, integrating the two. This insight is undoubtedly another creative achievement. Zhang Zai's nature of heaven (or principle) and nature of temperament, moral knowledge (moral intuition, harmonious understanding with the Dao), perceptual knowledge, aspiration and nurturing Qi, understanding the principles and fulfilling one's nature, clarity and sincerity, and the dual progress and unity of the nature of heaven and earth—all inherit from traditional philosophy but profoundly influenced subsequent philosophers, and remain theoretically valuable today, worthy of elaboration. Concepts like the simultaneous construction of the "heaven and earth," the three-dimensional application of function, the understanding of the body and function, the unity of body and function, the "one heart, two doors," the "two actions of reason," and the "one principle, many particularities" are highly creative philosophical models or paradigms. After Zhang Zai assimilated and integrated Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, establishing his framework, these concepts were further interpreted by Zhu Xi, Wang Shicheng, Xiong Shili, and contemporary Chinese philosophers, making their modern significance even more prominent. This aspect still needs further exploration and discovery. Fifth, the author's academic style is rigorous, and his efforts are solid. He places Zhang Zai within the broader context of the philosophy of the Song and Ming dynasties, conducts meticulous research based on reliable primary sources, and presents well-founded arguments. The author adheres to academic norms, opposing the practice of copying others' work and the empty talk that masquerades as scholarship. In methodology, he skillfully applies the principle of consistency between logic and history. In summary, this book is a high-quality academic monograph with many original insights and creative contributions, not only for the study of Zhang Zai but also for the study of the philosophy of the Song and Ming dynasties. It is an invaluable work in both fields, injecting vitality into these areas of research and making a contribution to the history of Chinese philosophy. Weixiang was able to write such a specialized work due to his diligent study. He is a person who lives and breathes scholarship, treating academic work and personal conduct as inseparable, diligently pursuing his studies,, engaging in spiritual dialogue with ancient philosophers with an equal mind. He is full of passion for scholarship, committed to promoting traditional spiritual values, and practices them in his own life. To a certain extent, his character and scholarship, as well as his attitude toward life, are Confucian in nature. He is capable and hardworking, with a worldly outlook. From him, I can see the essence of "sincerity." I deeply respect his simplicity, sincerity, dedication, humility, consideration for others, and willingness to help. He is a kindred spirit and close friend to me. Weixiang has now returned to the northwest and is teaching at Shaanxi Normal University, but our hearts are still connected. We are all ordinary people. Weixiang and I, in our teaching careers and ordinary lives, have many personal weaknesses and limitations in scholarship, but this does not hinder us from being supported by ultimate beliefs and moral ideals, pursuing the realm of the "Four Sentences of Hongqi" that has inspired countless scholars and righteous people for nearly a thousand years: "To establish the heart of heaven, to establish the destiny of the people, to inherit the lost learning of the sages, and to open peace for all generations." Though we may not reach this ideal, our hearts yearn for it. Some may say this is the arrogance of Confucians or the pride of conscience. From a materialistic perspective, the "Four Sentences of Hongqi" may seem unrealistic; but from a philosophical perspective, we can understand its meaning. I remember several times when I chatted with Weixiang, we discussed the deep prejudices people have against Chinese culture, especially Confucianism, and the difficulty of being a Confucian in today's world, even to the point of being emotionally moved and sighing deeply. But I hope we can truly know what is unattainable and still strive for it. This is the preface.