A Study Of Huang Daozhou’s Philosophy

The philosophic theory of Huang Dao-Chou is complicated and it has been ignored formany years. This dissertation analyses the orientation and basic contents and characters of thetheory of Huang Dao-chou. In the first chapter, it reviews the previous studies on the thoughtsof Huang Dao-Chou, then the second chapter describes the life of Huang Dao-chou and thedevelopment of Dao-chou’s thoughts.In the third chapter, it analyses the theory of cosmogony of Dao-chou’s doctrine.Dao-chou pointed out that Qi was the primitive element which generated the heaven and theearth. Qi was based on two principles of five agents each enhancing the next and five agentschecking the next to keep the balance and harmony of natural world. Sage established theethic relations of human society according to the relations of five agents.In the forth chapter, it discusses the ontology of Dao-chou’s thought. Taiji was a supremeultimate in nature, which Yin-yang and five agents were in it. Then, Dao-chou named Ciwu(The thing) as a special term to explain the traits of the noumenon, such as objectivity,subjectivity and universality. He also considered Xin (mind-and-heart) and Xing (humannature) as two final and transcendent grounds of human nature. Moreover, he used terms suchas Cheng and benevolence to describe the immanent and transcendent noumenon.In the fifth chapter, the author explores the theory of human nature of Dao-chou’sthought. Dao-chou endorsed the theory of original goodness of human nature of Mencius, andopposed the theory of duality of human nature which was held by confucianists in Songdynasty. At the same time, he thought that the evil of human nature was generated bysurroundings.In the sixth chapter, it investigates Kung Fu theory of Dao-chou’s thought. He hadsynthesized opinions of Chengzhu and Luwang on ‘Studying things to acquire knowledge’. Inaddition, he insisted that self-cultivate should be enhanced by respect. Furthermore, heemphasized on learning and doing.At the end of dissertation, the author analyses the position of Dao-chou’s philosophy, and suggests that Dao-chou tried to integrate the differences between chengzhu and luwang,moreover, he also tries to form his distinctive doctrine.