Mou Zongsan's Research on "Metaphysics of Morality" -- A Series of Theses on Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism

Author: Min Shijun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-01
Features: As a metaphysical system centered on the concept of "conscience," integrating Buddhist, Daoist wisdom, and Western rational spirit, Mou Zongsan's "Moral Metaphysics" can be seen as an attempt to reconstruct the ontological foundation of meaning in the post-metaphysical era. This metaphysics takes Confucianism, particularly the Lu-Wang School of Mind Learning, as its ultimate destination and inner soul, while externally manifesting as a process of the manifestation, activation, and return of conscience. Kantian philosophy, on the other hand, provides the primary problem perspective and basic activity platform for the construction of this metaphysics.
Against the backdrop of metaphysical issues, this paper conducts a comparative study of Kantian philosophy and Mou Zongsan's philosophy. By deeply exploring the inherent structure of Mou's Daoist metaphysics, it reconstructs Mou's Daoist metaphysical system, logically reproduces Mou's process of constructing conscience as the ontological foundation of meaning. It highlights the advancements Mou made in relation to Kantian philosophy, reveals the internal contradictions in Mou's philosophy, and exposes his misunderstandings of Kantian philosophy. Additionally, it attempts to demonstrate the significance and limitations of this metaphysical construction in the post-metaphysical era.