Hierarchy of Life: A Study of Feng Youlan's Theory of Life's States

Author: Liu Dongchao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: The theory of life stages is an important component of the newly constructed system of New Logic by Mr. Feng, one of the few systematic philosophical doctrines of life in Chinese philosophy in the 20th century. This theory divides human life existence from low to high into four levels: the natural realm, the utilitarian realm, the moral realm, and the heavenly realm. People in the natural realm act according to instinct or habit, those in the utilitarian realm pursue personal gain, those in the moral realm follow moral rules, and those in the heavenly realm "identify with the great all." The differences in stages are caused by varying degrees of comprehension, with those in the heavenly realm possessing the greatest comprehension. Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are the three pillars of traditional Chinese culture, with a long history, rich content, and profound influence. They have played an extremely important role in the formation and development of the common psychology, emotions, and strong cohesion of the Chinese nation. They have been the spiritual weapons that enabled our nation to overcome all difficulties, pass through countless obstacles, and always remain invincible for thousands of years. Today, they still demonstrate their strong vitality and will radiate even more brilliant brilliance in the coming new century.
Since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1978 established the reform and opening-up policy, research on the traditional Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist culture in our country has also made great progress. Many doctoral programs have been established across the country, allowing the cultivation of young research talents to proceed in a planned and organized manner. A batch after batch of doctoral graduates is thriving, forming a strong new force in the study of traditional Chinese culture and becoming the future academic leaders in related disciplines. Some of their doctoral dissertations have gained attention and produced a positive impact among domestic and international scholars after being published. However, due to various reasons, the publication of academic works remains extremely difficult, especially for works by middle-aged and young scholars. As a result, a considerable number of doctoral dissertations still fail to be published in a timely manner. Failing to resolve this issue promptly is not only detrimental to the growth of middle-aged and young scholars but also the promotion of traditional Chinese culture and the advancement of academic exchange. We have long been determined to solve this problem, but various reasons have prevented us from achieving our goal. Recently, in discussions with the Hong Kong Guo Xuan College, we were delighted to receive their generous agreement to donate funds to support the publication of the "Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism Doctoral Dissertation Series." This will be a great event in academia, and its long-term continuation will undoubtedly have a profound impact.
This book first examines Feng Youlan's theory of life stages from two levels: the authenticity of the text and the theoretical implications. It organizes and analyzes the knowledge resources, theoretical forms, and developments of this doctrine. The distinction between the general and the particular has been a long-standing topic in the history of Western philosophy, but it cannot be considered a thread in the history of Chinese philosophy (as Feng Youlan viewed it). In essence, it is a simple principle of epistemology that reflects the interdependence and differences of things. The reason why discussions on it have been so contentious is partly because complex and convoluted arguments fail to resolve the issue. Starting from certain beliefs or prejudices is difficult to verify or falsify and is not a conclusion of argumentation but rather a starting point. Feng Youlan's reduction of the issue to this indeed simplifies it, but it also dissolves its richness and complexity. As for Feng Youlan's connection of the general and the particular with the metaphysical and the empirical, the sensible and the insensible, it is clearly still influenced by Plato, and the use of these concepts undoubtedly deviates from conventional usage. To be more precise, while these three pairs of concepts share some meaningful and logical isomorphism, they cannot be mutually reduced to one another, and their differences are greater than their similarities. For example, while the metaphysical can be roughly seen as the general, the general includes multiple levels, and it is not necessarily metaphysical. On the other hand, the empirical might be considered the particular (still speaking very generally, a detailed analysis would be much more complex), but the particular is not necessarily empirical. The meanings of the metaphysical and the empirical are relatively fixed, while the general and the particular are relative concepts whose referents change with the context. The same applies to the sensible and the insensible, but the situation may be even more complex, so it is not discussed in detail here.
Regarding Zhu Xi's theory of li and qi, there are significant differences between the New Edition and A History of Chinese Philosophy. Below, we examine it in the order of Feng Youlan's discussion. He cites a passage from Zhu Xi's reply to Huang Daofu: "In the universe between heaven and earth, there are li and qi. Li is the way of the metaphysical, the root of life; qi is the tool of the empirical, the means of life. Therefore, when things and people are born, they must inherit li to have nature; they must inherit qi to have form. Their nature and form, though not outside a single body, are clearly distinguished between the way and the tool, and they must not be confused." He then comments: "This passage by Zhu Xi not only explains the distinction between the categories of 'li' and 'qi' but also shows how he understood this distinction. In philosophical terms, he first logically analyzes ordinary things."