Lu Nan Science Ideological Study

Lv Nan was a famous Neo-Confucian in the middle Ming Dynasty, who could be contended with Wang Yang-ming, another famous Neo-Confucian in the dynasty, but he and his Neo-Confucian thought have not been attached importance to since Chinese modern time in the research circles of the History of Chinese Philosophy and Thought. There has not been even a monograph on Lv Nan and his Neo-Confucian thought in the mainland China until now. Most of the research materials at the present time have been only about his transmission process from other masters and his particular ideas, which neither give a systematic consideration about Lv Nan and his Neo-Confucian thought nor have a grasping to the characters and structures of Lv Nan's Neo-Confucianism.Lv Nan was born in an unrest age, in which Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucian thought had already been in a decline and Wang Yang-ming's Neo-Confucian thought was just flourishing. In the face of such an academic change trend, Lv Nan neither sticked to the former nor firmly believed in the latter. However, relying on the academic communications with harmony in differences and the purpose of study with pursuit of new knowledge from fusions, he constructed his own Neo-Confucianism with special characters.For the problem of ontology, although he says that he "does not discuss the mystery and deep problems", Lv Nan has a deep experience and a conscious pursuit to the origin of the ways of Heaven and the metaphysical substances. What he consists in answer of the problem is not Zhu Xi's principles a priori, not Zhang Zai's material force in the great void, even not Wang Yang-ming's intelligent mind, but a special "Dao-body" of Ying-Yang change with the character of unity of principle and material force. In the "Dao-body", for him, the material force is an existential body of Ying-Yang change, and the principle is something constant of Ying-Yang change, both of which consist in an integral whole. It is just on this special basis of ontological ideas, therefore, that Lv Nan establishes a series of his important propositions, such as knowledge prior to practice, pursuit of principles through intense study of things, and unification of mind and affairs.For the problem of human nature, on the basis of his ontological supposition, Lv Nan explicitly claims that human nature is also an organic unity from principle and material force. He, therefore, contrary to the basic position of other Neo-Confucians who stress the nature of Heaven and Earth but degrade the nature of disposition for human beings, clearly confirms that the nature of disposition is one kind of human natures too, in which the nature of Heaven and Earth is located. For the problem of "mind-body", Lv Nan thinks that as "a place of pure material force" in human body, mind is actually a mind of consciousness, and not a mind of morality or ontology. This kind of mind of consciousness is also an organic unity of principle and material force which in material aspect is "human mind" and in principle aspect "Dao-mind". For this reason, the root for academic work is to raise mind, to make the mind of consciousness locating in principles and going through material body.For the problem of workmanship, what Lv Nan stresses is "practice following knowledge", namely, workmanship on knowing and workmanship on practicing being mutually contained in the academic work. In the workmanship on knowing, he consists in pursuing principles through an intense study of things, and tries to unify a view of moral understanding to pursue morality and a view of epistemology to pursue objective knowledge. In the workmanship of practicing, what he claims is practice in one's own person by working hard in affairs, being careful of oneself when alone in order to deal with complications, and being content to be in poor state in order to correct one's mistakes. The character of stressing practice in one's own person in Lv Nan's Neo-Confucianism has been praised thereafter by different generations of scholars.For the problem of research realm, what Lv Nan pursues is a sage's realm of "unity of mind and affairs", namely, to reach the acme of perfection in which moral practice and undertaking of real affairs are unified thoroughly. This kind of research realm is neither a spiritual wonderland escaped from undertaking of real affairs nor a utility secular world beyond moral principles.In short, as a famous Neo-Confucian who can be contended with Wang Yang-ming, Lv Nan inherits the style of Guanzhong School of Neo-Confucianism, blends harmoniously different schools of Neo-Confucianism, and finally establishes a theoretical system of practicing in one's own person which takes "unity of principle and material force" as essence, regards "pursuit of principles through intense study of things" as an advancing way, makes "being careful of oneself when alone in order to deal with complications" as one's workmanship, and considers "unification of mind and affairs" as a goal to do academic work. The character of thought in Lv Nan's Neo-Confucianism is consequently just the unification of morality inside one's mind and practice of affairs outside one's body which stresses "making right of one's mind as essence, practicing in one's behavior as key point".