A Phenomenological Interpretation Of WangYang-ming's Philosophy

Wang Yang-ming's thought of mind signifies an important philosophical turn of Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming. The general characteristic of Yang-ming's thought is the non-objectified way of understanding ultimate reality, opened purely in our life-horizons. Wang Yang-ming's doctrine of "mind is principle" overcomes the paradox in Cheng brothers and Zhu Xi's thoughts, which manifests itself as the unsuccessful efforts to get rid of the dualism between Dao (the Way) and ordinary life. To link up Dao with life, the metaphysical with the phenomenal, is one of Zhu Xi's aims and claims. But, the linking-up has not been realized genuinely and thoroughly because of the impact of the thinking way on Zhu Xi that takes certain beings as something ready-made. Dismissing such a thinking way, Yang-ming makes Dao emerge into human life, and connecting the metaphysical and the phenomenal intimately. The "mind" for Yang-ming can be understood as the originally "throwing-thrown" experience in life itself. The doctrine of "mind is principle" means, therefore, to let principle show itself in life-horizons that bring forth direct understanding. The principle (li) in Yang-ming's thought is a "living" one constituted and maintained in life-horizons, differing from the conceptual essence outside the horizons. The living principle in life-horizons is naturally manifested as "the unity of knowing and doing". "Original knowing" or "liang-zhi" is not the ideally objectifiable knowledge of "goodness", but the understanding of the ultimate goodness actually beyond the usual distinction between good and evil. Phenomenology in broad sense, which takes its start from Husserl, breaks through the limitation set by the conceptual and theoretical methods prevailing in traditional western philosophy. Phenomenology suspends all presumptions that are not examined thoroughly, and reaches its objects only in intuitive or horizontal constitutions. In this perspective, it is said to let phenomena show themselves in genetic contexts. Such "phenomena", as the constituted "things themselves", are in a sense identical with so called "essence" or "noumena", yet distinguishing from any ready-made beings in traditional western philosophy. The constitution of "things themselves" happens in horizons, contexts or genetic regions, which are neither subjective nor objective, prior to but nevertheless merging into all possible ready-made things. There are certain harmonious relations between Wang Yang-ming's thought in such a perspective and phenomenology in broad sense, where the exchanges between Chinese and Western philosophies can be enhanced, stimulating rather than distorting. It is hoped that during our investigations, some features of Wang Yang-ming's thought that have not been fully noticed so far, may be revealed in the phenomenological horizons.