Research on the Philosophy of Qi in China

Author: Zeng Zhenyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-10-01
Features: This book provides a comprehensive, systematic, and in-depth examination and research on the "Qili" (theory of Qi) in the history of Chinese philosophy and thought. The author studies the "Qili" of representative thinkers from each era, detailing the original meaning of "Qi" and its philosophical transformation during the pre-Qin period. The book examines Wang Chong's "theory of primordial Qi" and, based on this, elaborates on the cosmogony and theory of the origin of life. It also explores the diverse characteristics of "Qili" among Confucians, the Two Chengs (Cheng Yi and Cheng Hao), Zhu Xi, Luo Qinshun, Wang Fuzhi, and others during the Wei, Jin, Sui, and Tang dynasties. It concludes that Yan Fu's "Qili" marks the end of classical Chinese "Qili." The book employs a comparative study of Chinese and Western cultures, using the history of European philosophy as a reference and the philosophical concepts defined by Hegel as a benchmark to categorically analyze the "Qili" of different eras and thinkers in the history of Chinese philosophy.