The Positioning of Huang Zongxi's Mind Learning

Author: Liu Shuxian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Huang Zongxi was a great thinker during the transitional period from the Ming to the Qing Dynasty. His two major works have had a significant impact on later generations: one is Mingyi Daifanglu (Record of the Waiting for the Visitation) and the other is Mingruo Xuesan (Biographies of the Confucian Scholars of the Ming Dynasty). His political philosophy, as expressed in Yuanjun (On the Original Lord), and his critiques of the thoughts of Ming Confucian scholars like Chen Baishi and Wang Yangming are well-known. However, the criteria of his thought, his xinxue (heart-mind learning), such as the idea that "the universe is filled with the mind," and its true meaning have never been systematically examined by scholars, leaving the concept quite vague in theory. I propose to use a method of tracing back to grasp the positioning of his thought, and then conduct an in-depth examination of his Mingruo Xuesan to determine his contributions and status in the history of thought. My study of Song and Ming Confucianism has been deeply influenced by Professor Mou Zongsan. His three-volume work Xinti Yu Xingtai (The Body of the Mind and the Nature of the Mind) elevated this field to an unprecedented new level. His profound understanding and meticulous analysis allow him to assign clear content to many difficult-to-explain concepts. He is not one to base his arguments on fleeting inspiration or indulge in associative speculation, nor is he prone to grand pronouncements—such flaws are not uncommon even in Mr. Xiong Shili. His achievements are beyond the reach of those who can only swirl externally and engage in superficial textual research. After reading this book, readers will understand why I have drawn heavily on his ideas and why there is a solid basis for doing so.