Zhu Ximeng Studies

Zhu Xi(朱熹)devoted all his life to the study of the works of Mencius(《孟子》).His works on Mencius are very rich.In the long process of exploration and reflection,he gradually formed a complete and systematic system of Mencius,which mainly includes two parts:the "philology"(义理)and the "textual research".(考据)The works of Mencius(《孟子》)has elucidated the nature of mind and has become the basis for the argument of Neo Confucianism in the Song and Ming dynasties.Zhu Xi integrates the great achievements of the former sages,skillfully combines Buddhism and old ideas with Mencius’ theory of mind and nature,and constructs his own unique system of Neo-Confucianism.Zhu Xi’s philosophical ideas such as "Li Qi View"(理气观),"Sex Dualism"(性二元论),"Mind and Temperament’(心统性情说),“”Rational Desire View"(理欲观),”knowledge based on material theory"(格物致知论)were not formed in a moment,but had a tortuous process of change,which was particularly evident in his works on study the works of Mencius(《孟子》).In terms of "Li Qi View"(理气观),Zhu Xi’s thought of "Li-Qi is inseparable"(理气不可分)and "Li comes first than Qin(理先气后)had been formed in the period of "Mencius Collection and Annotations"(《孟子集注》)and "Mencius or Questions"(《孟子或问》).By the time of the works of Mencius in Zhu Zi Yu Lei(《朱子语类·孟子》),his concept of Li and Qi was mainly based on the idea that "Li-Qi is inseparable"(理气不可分),and it was deepened from different perspectives to improve the concept of Li and Qi.In the aspect of the theory of "heart and temperament"(心性论),Zhu Xi finally interpreted the relationship between heart,nature and emotion with the idea of "mind and temperament"(心统性情说).This theory originated from "mind dominated by temperament"(心主性情)and gradually turned to "mind and temperament"(心兼性情).The name of this theory has also undergone the change of "mind dominated by temperament"(心统性情),"mind dominated by temperament"(心主性情),"mind occupied by temperament"(心统性情).By the time "Mencius Collection and Annotations"(《孟子集注》)and "Mencius or Questions"(《孟子或问》)were published,the dual connotations of "mind dominated temperament"(心主性情)and "mind concurrently temperament"(心兼性情)had been formed,but at this time the "mind concurrently temperament"(心兼性情)was the main one.In this period,the theory of talent(才情论)also appeared and became part of the "heart and temperament"(心性论).In his later years,the dual connotations of "mind and temperament"(心统性情说)were treated equally,and the relationship between "talent"(才)and " temperament "(情)was fully explained.Since then,the theory of "mind occupied by temperament"(心统性情)has been completed.In the aspect of human nature theory(人性论),Zhu Xi explained the good and evil of human nature with the dualism of "the good nature of destiny and the evil nature of temperament"(天命之性善,气质之性恶),but this theory has undergone a long and complicated process of development and evolution.In the period of Hu Zi Zhi Yan Yi Yi(《胡子<知言>疑义)and Mencius Jingyi(《孟子精义》),Zhu Xi criticized Hu Hong’s(胡宏)theory of "nature without good and evil" 性无善恶),expressed his human nature standpoint of good and evil,and first mentioned "the nature of temperament"(气禀之性)in his theory of human nature.On the other hand,he constantly absorbed Zhang Zai’s(张载)and Cheng’s(程颐、程颢)theory,which laid a solid theoretical foundation for the dualism of nature.In the period of the first draft of Mencius Collection Annotations(《孟子集注》)and Mencius or Questions(《孟子或问》),Zhu Xi initially established the idea of "good nature of heaven’s destiny and evil nature of temperament"(天命之性善,气质之性恶),but at this time,influenced by the thought of "ontology of reason"(理本体论),he did not oppose the sexes;at the time of the works of Mencius in Zhu Zi Yu Lei(《朱子语类·孟子》),Zhu Xi was influenced by the thought of "Li comes first than Qi"(理先气后)and divided nature and reason into two parts.Two parts,"the nature of destiny"(天命之性)and "the nature of temperament"(气质之性)form a relationship of opposition and unity,from which nature dualism(性二元论)is formally established.In terms of the concept of reason and desire(理欲观),Zhu Xi,influenced by Hu Hong’s theory in his early years,advocated "natural desire and human desire,peer exoticism"(天理人欲,同行异情)and emphasized the identity of the two.By the time of Mencius Collection Annotations(《孟子集注》)and Mencius or Questions(《孟子或问》),Zhu Xi no longer emphasized this point,but turned to "natural and human desires,can not stand side by side"(天理人欲,不容并立),and demonstrated this issue from the perspectives of "righteousness and benefit"(义利),"good and evil"(善恶),"heart is right or not"(心正与否),"cultivation efforts"(修养工夫)and so on,highlighting the opposition between "natural"(天理)and"human desire”(人欲).By the time of the works of Mencius in Zhu Zi Yu Lei(《朱子语类·孟子》),the scope of the opposition between reason(理)and desire(欲)was expanded,and at the same time,the concept of reason and desire was further perfected by reintroducing"natural desire and human desire,peer exoticism"(天理人欲,同行异情).In the aspect of the theory of knowledge based on material(格物致知论),Zhu Xi expounded Mencius’ thought,explaining the connotation of "knowledge based on material"with "heart"(尽心),"intellectuality"(知性),"knowing words"(知言)and "knowing goodness"(明善).In Hu Zi Zhi Yan Yi Yi(《胡子<知言>疑义》),Zhu Xi began to pay attention to the relationship between "knowing with all one’s heart"(尽心知性)and"knowledge based on material "(格物致知).By the time of Mencius Collection Annotations(《孟子集注》)and Mencius or Questions(《孟子或问》),Zhu Xi not only paid attention to the connection between them,but also emphasized the order of "heart"(尽心)and"intellectuality"(知性),with the intention corresponding to the order of "knowing"(知至)and "knowing material"(物格).At the same time,Zhu Xi also brought "knowing words"(知言)and "knowing goodness"(明善)into the theoretical system of "knowledge based on material"(格物致知论).He believed that "knowing words"(知言)is "knowing material"(格物),"knowing goodness"(明善)is "knowing"(知至),and "knowing goodness"(明善)is the premise of "knowing material"(格物).In his later years,Zhu Xi changed his previous statement,believing that "heart"(尽心)is not "knowing"(知至),but "sincerity"(意诚);that "knowing words"(知言)is not "knowing material"(格物),but the premise of”knowledge based on material";that "knowing goodness"(明善)is not "knowing"(致知),but "knowledge based on material".When building a new theory of knowledge based on material,the concept of knowledge and action(知行观)derived from it also came into being.It has roughly gone through the development process of "knowing before doing"(先知后行),"knowing after doing"(先行后知),"knowing before doing"(先知后行),"knowing and doing are inseparable"(知行不可分)and "doing with knowledge is not light"(行重知不轻).Zhu Xi explained the works of Mencius(《孟子》),using a completely new way of interpretation.Zhu Xi used the "centralized annotation" style(集注体)to annotate the works of Mencius(《孟子》),trying to get rid of the traditional classical annotations and the restraint of righteousness and sparseness.Without losing the original intention of the text,Zhu Xi paid attention to the interpretation of righteousness,which had strong characteristics of the times.In the process of interpretation,Zhu Xi took the initiative to integrate primitive Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism,and creatively interpreted the works of Mencius(《孟子》),creating a "new" Mencius.For this reason,Zhu Xi’s achievements in Mencius learning reached an unprecedented height:not only improved Mencius’ status and expanded the influence of Mencius,but also,more importantly,made the Superman of the works of Mencius(《孟子》)enter the Confucian classics,pushing the development of the works of Mencius(《孟子》)learning to the extreme.Although Zhu Xi pays attention to the interpretation of philology,he does not abandon textual criticism.There are some textual research on the pronunciation,meaning,figures,history and rules of the word in the works of Mencius(《孟子》).In textual research,there are many textual criticisms on the broken sentences of "keeping harmless from the end of the day"(至大至刚以直养无害)and "never forgetting what is right and never forgetting what is helpful"(必有事焉而勿正心勿忘勿助长也);in personnel history,the focus is on the textual criticism of historical events,including "Blind and Xiang kill shun"(瞽、象杀舜之事),"Tang collapse,Tai Ding has not established,the second year of Wai Bing,the four years of Zhong Ren"(汤崩,太丁未立,外丙二年,仲壬四年)and so on.In terms of rules and regulations,it focuses on the law of "tribute,thoroughness and assistance"(贡、彻、助),"well field system"(井田制),"market without recruitment"(市廛而不征)and "Banjue system"(班爵制度).In terms of ancient etiquette,it focuses on the research of”the propriety of scholar is not seen by leud"(士不见诸侯之礼).In the process of textual research,Zhu Xi’s broad thought of attracting and guiding the world and serving the reality is more prominent.However,under the thriving ideological trend of Righteousness and Neo-Confucianism and the flourishing of textual criticism,there are also some mistakes in its textual criticism,such as "repetition of textual criticism"(考证重复),"lack of rigorous textual criticism"(考证不够严谨),"lack of comprehensive and in-depth textual criticism"(考证不够全面深入),etc.However,this still cannot erase its achievements in the textual criticism of the works of Mencius(《孟子》).Later scholars followed Zhu Xi’s textual research content and methods,constantly deepening and expanding,and finally in the Qing dynasty,the textual research of the works of Mencius(《孟子》)reached its peak.