History of the Evolution of Li Zhi'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 away from the conventional academic approach of statically analyzing his thought outcomes to dynamically describing the process of his thought generation. As a result, it becomes a seminal work in the history of thought that presents the diachronic evolution of Li Zhi's ideas. The book bases its research on Li Zhi's life events and chronological arrangement of his writings, focusing on the Xinxue (Heart-Mind School) thought closely related to literature as the primary descriptive subject. It examines, year by year and article by article, 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, re-examining many important aspects of his ideas.
The book reveals the relationship between Islam and Li Zhi's (obsessive cleanliness) habits, his psychological inclination toward cleanliness, and his belief that purity is true 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 their ties to 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 eccentricity" () and "non-contention with the world" () and its evolution. These insights are often original and thought-provoking. Due to its comprehensive and well-documented sources, novel perspectives, emphasis on both dialectical reasoning and empirical evidence, and numerous innovative contributions, the book elevates the study of Li Zhi's thought to a new level.