A Study On Hu Xu’s Thought About Yi-ology

Hu Xu was an important Yi-ologist and Neo-Confucianism scholar in the early Qing Dynasty. His thoughts had many unique features, which integrated the Han studies and Song studies, compromised Cheng Yi, Zhu Xi, Lu Jiuyuan and Wang Yangming and criticized Zhu Xi. His unique yi-ology and Neo-Confucianism thoughts had an important value in the history of yi-ology and thought in the Qing Dynasty. With Hu Xu, an Yi-ologist in the early Qing Dynasty, as the research object, this paper analyzes and discusses his Yi-ology thoughts comprehensively and systematically. His main viewpoints are as follows:Ⅰ. In terms of academic propensity, Hu Xu’s Yi-ology thoughts were characterized by the combination of Han studies and Song studies and equal importance of image-numerology and argumentation. His academic thoughts originated from Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties. Hu Xu was an important member of Zhongzhou School of Neo-Confucianism in the early Qing Dynasty.Hu Xu’s academic thoughts not only combined Han and Song studies, but also compromised Chengxi, Zhu Xi, Lu Jiuyuan and Wang Yangming. He both criticized and inherited Neo-Confucianism of Chengxi and Zhuxi and heart-mind theory of Lu Jiuyuan and Wang Yangming. Hu Xu’s thoughts were manifested in Yi-ology thoughts, i.e. he integrated and attached equal importance to image-numerology and argumentation in the Book of Change and formed his unique Yi-ology theoretical system.Ⅱ. Hu Xu’s basic viewpoint of Yi-ology. His understandings of the nature and characteristics of the Book of Changes were very deep and unique. He considered the Book of Changes as a book delivering a sermon which told the theory of life rather than a book of divination which predicted good or ill luck. Hu Xu absorbed "image-numerology" and "argumentation" Yi-ologist since the pre-Qin period and Western and Eastern Han Dynasties, analyzed predecessors’different meanings and understandings of these important concepts such as "image","numerology" and "argumentation" in the Book of Changes and put forward his own opinions with respect to this basic Yi-ology problem. He thought that the foundation of the Book of Changes was argumentation, but the manifestation of argumentation required image-numerology. Both could not be separated and equal importance should be attached to them.III. Hu Xu attached great importance to the theory of "Book School" in Yi-ology. He thought that He Tu, Luo Shu, Ancient Star Map and Acquired Map explained the principle of creation of the universe and formation of human nature and these maps were the foundation for mastering the principle in the Book of Changes. Hu Xu created a set of his own graphics theory based on the theory of predecessors.Hu Xu regarded He Tu and Luo Shu as the basis for explaining the Book of Changes. He thought that all principles of the Book of Changes were contained in He Tu, Luo Shu, Ancient Star Map and Acquired Map. Hu Xu thought that He Tu and Luo Shu originated from heaven and manifested the change of nature; heaven was shown to people with map and saints used it to supervise indoctrination. Hu Xu built his thoughts of "syncretism between heaven and man" and "unification between source and phenomenon" by virtue of Yi-ology maps such as He Tu, Luo Shu and Ancient Star Map of Fu Hsi. Hu Xun considered that He Tu and Luo Shu symbolizing "the change of nature" just manifested the principle of creation of the universe and that principles of Yin-Yang circulation and growth and decline of the virtue in Fu Hsi’s Ancient Star Map were consistent with those in He Tu and Luo Shu.IV."Hexagram and line theory" was the most important Yi-ology theory in Hu Xu’s Yi-ology thoughts. His "hexagram and line theory" explained hexagram-records and remarks appended to the lines in the Book of Changes and Yi Zhuan reasonably and exactly and fundamentally corrected the error of "hexagram transformation theory" and "complication theory". This was a set of theories created by Hu Xu based on Yi-ology thoughts of predecessors, which had a high academic value. "Hexagram and line theory" put forward by Hu Xu exactly explained the creation and change of lines and hexagrams and had a more reasonable and connected explanations of "internal and external contacts and from beginning to end" in the Book of Changes. It fundamentally corrected the error of "hexagram transformation theory" and "complication theory" and had an important value in the history of Yi-ology. Hu Xu explained sixty-four hexagrams again one by one according to his "hexagram and line theory". His explanations can make images of hexagrams, hexagram-records and Confucius’Analects anastomotic and created confirmation."Hexagram and line theory" put forward by Hu Xu absorbed and epitomized thoughts of predecessors and reasonably solved some difficult problems in the history of Yi-ology.V. The criticism on Yi-ology of Zhu Xi was an important part in Hu Xi’s Yi-ology thoughts. Hu Xu severely criticized Yi-ology of Zhu Xi and thought that many explanations of the Book of Changes in Zhu Xi’s Original Meaning of the Book of Changes were wrong and didn’t accord with the principle of Yi.He objected to Zhu Xi regarding the Book of Changes as a book of divination and criticized that he focused on divination in vain and didn’t match with the philosophy of Yi. He also criticized that Zhu Xi separated the philosophy of Yi of Fu Hsi, King Wen and Confucius and failed to integrate them. He also objected to Zhu Xi’s hexagram transformation theory and thought that Zhu Xi’s explanation of Yi with hexagram transformation theory made the philosophy of Yi obscure.Zhu Xi thought that Taichi was reason and regarded reason as the noumenon of all things on earth. Hu Xu thought that Taichi was the noumenon, reason was its use and Taichi was superior to reason. Zhu Xi regarded reason as metaphysical way and yin and yang as material tool. Hu Xu thought that "one Yin and one Yang is called Taoism" and Yin and Yang should be metaphysical way. The difference of Hu Xu and Zhu Xi’s understandings of "Taichi" and "Taoism tool" reflected the diversion of Neo-Confucianism in the academic circle in the early Qing Dynasty.VI. Hu Xu was a member of Zhongzhou School of Neo-Confucianism established by Sun Qifeng in the early Qing Dynasty. His Yi-ology thoughts were unseparated from Neo-Confucianism. Hu Xu has his unique opinions on some important concepts and problems in Neo-Confucianism. He criticized Song studies and Confucianism but didn’t totally repudiate it. His Neo-Confucianism constituted a unique aspect in the development of Neo-Confucianism in the early Qing Dynasty."Heaven, nature and Taoism" are important concepts in Neo-Confucianism. Important Neo-Confucianism scholars in the Song Dynasty regarded heaven, nature and Taoism as the same concept and thought that they were the supreme noumenon of all things on earth for the purpose of highlighting the importance of reason. Hu Xu thought that these explanations of Song studies and Confucianism went against the original intention of Confucius and Menci. Hu Xu pointed out that heaven, nature and Taoism were three concepts at different levels; heaven was the supreme noumenon; nature originated from heaven and Taoism; they connected with each other but had differences. Hu Xu criticized various theories of non original goodness of human nature, especially the statement of nature of temperament of Song studies and Confucianism. He thought that nature was always good and nature and temperament were totally different and could not be mixed; temperament could not be mixed with nature.