"huainanzi" Epistemological Study

This dissertation takes Huai-nan Zi epistemology as the theme. Here we want to study mainly as the grasping essential method things of the world. It contains mainly the followings about Huai-nan Zi and the background of writing it the tend of Huai-nan Zi epistemology's research and talk about the epistemology before Huai- nan Zi.Almost every philosopher's thought who is in Pre-Qin period and Qin, Han Dynasty period, were assimilated and summarized in Huai-nan Zi. It takes Tao of early Taoism as back bone, assimilated Yin and Yang theory, Qi theory and Tian ren gan ying guan, and forms original special view of the world and the universe. At the same time, it persists on the tend of Lao Zi and absorbs lots of Zhuang Zi's thoughts. And then it developed to be the political idea which differs from Huang Lao political science in Han period. Huai-nan Zi pay equally attention to Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi's theory that essentially formed different groups. That played as important role in posterity Taoism's development. Each idea which Huai-nan Zi took in strength themed embodiment and reality in the theory, when it discussed about get Tao and it's function an human being's business in society.The idea of taking Tao and things equally produced a great effect on Huai-nan Zi epistemology. The ideas based on epistemology are different, because the character of their objects are different. It absorbs the active epistemology of Confucianism and Mo ism claim that the world can be understood and the theory of empiricism came out. It thinks that objective concrete fact is the source of knowledge, and admits that the individuals have the abilities of sensible knowledge and rational thought. Therefore, it advocates that people should accumulate knowledge and experience continues. On the other hand, Huai-nan Zi succeeds sensory epistemology of Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi, and advocate Quzhi, Xu and Jing to nourish spirits. Intuition is a kind of state that subject try to feel the object, and it is also the way to grasp the essential of things. Fan Xing, Zi De, Yu Dao Wei Yi and get Tao etc said in Huai-nan Zi are different words of the same thing. Get tao's function on Ren Shi is Wu Wei. In Wu Wei theory, it emphasizes Yin Zi Ran, Xun Tian and Xun Li. In other words we must abide the regulations of nature. On how to get Tao, Huai-nan Zi accepted the theory of accomplishment proposed by Lao Zhunag. Tao is fundamental principal and source of everything in the world, and is regulation which universally exists in all things. It belongs to object of knowledge on the metaphysics. It can't be acquired by analysis and accumulation, and can only be grasped by intuition. Huai-nan Zi advocated the importance of nourishing spirits on the way of achieving intuition recognition. It demands no wisdom, decreasing desire and keeping empty, calm and quiet spiritual state. And then it deleted the obstruction of preconception prevented by knowledge and experience. This is the concrete method of uniting subjectivity and objectivity. And Huai-nan Zi Taoism advocated that subject returns back to its natural innate quality. Thus this is the way to understand the essence of things directly. Huai-nan Zi was influenced by positive elements of each philosopher's thoughts, and admitted the active action of subjectivity speculation. Therefore, part of Huai-nan Zi's thoughts regard the purpose of accomplishment as to improve the capability of controlling will. But this way of recognizing world, has some drawbacks too, it can only explain the physical phenomenon. Though some uniting and contradiction between can be found, the opinions like Tao, Ying-Yang and Tian Ren Gan Ying which are followed by Pre-Qin thoughts bring us many revelation. Most of the scholars take acceptable wisdom and empiricism as the main ideas about the epistemology theory in Huai-nan Zi, and give it high appraise. In another hand, the effect of the negative thoughts were considered as relativism agnosticism, skeptical, transcendentalism, mentalism, mysticism and it becomes the object of criticism. It is the limitation in research of the philosophy's epistemology. The thoughts in Huai-nan Zi which was followed from Lao, Zhuang includes the unique way to think in east. We can't deny the creme of China by the standard of western countries philosophy.