The Study On Wang Fu-Chih's Yi-ology

The period of Ming and Qing Dynasties showed the characteristics of thought transition and social unrest. In this historical period, the Confucian scholars expected to continue the Confucian orthodoxy, so they strongly criticized the disadvantages of Neo-Confucianism and advocated learning shall be conducive to social reality. Due to the different academic position, the scholars chose different research methods. Wang Fu-Chih criticized and summarized Neo-Confucianism by the creative interpretation of Yi. Wang Fu-Chih considered Yi as the lifeblood of Confucianism, so he thought that if the scholars expect to continue the Confucian orthodoxy, the study of Yi is the inevitable choice. Therefore Yi-ology was the foundation of Wang Fu-Chih's schlolarship. So this paper emphatically analyzes Wang Fu-Chih's Yi-ology.In the introduction, the author mainly discusses the research significance of Wang Fu-Chih's Yi-ology, and makes a brief introduction to the existing research results in the academia.Chapter one introduces the thought transition in the period of Ming and Qing Dynasties and Wang Fu-Chih's learning experience. In the face of the destruction of the Ming Dynasty, the Confucian scholars carried on the deep review from the ideological aspects, and they stressed to do research should be combined with social reality, not just prattle about theory. In addition, they abandoned the research method of Confucian scholars in Song Dynasty, and claimed the scholar should clarify the saint's original meaning through textual research. Under the academic background, Yi-ology also appeared the corresponding transformation. On the one hand, the scholars represented by Huang Zongxi and Huang Zongyan criticized Hetu, Luoshu and innate Yi-ology. On the other hand, the scholars represented by Wang Fu-Chih pushed the development of Qi-ology. Besides, this chapter also makes a detailed investigation of Wang Fu-Chih's learning experience.The second chapter introduces Wang Fu-Chih's basic viewpoint on Yi-ology. Wang Fu-Chih made a harsh criticism of tampering the Confucian classics since Song Dynasty, and was opposed to devalue the academic status and value of Yi. He inherited the traditional point of view, and claimed the text and circulated texts of Yi are a whole. And he thought Yi is a book of exhausting the thing's principles and probing into human nature. However, Xici zhuan pointed out the divination is an important part in Yi-ology, so Wang Fu-Chih had to analysis on the relationship between the divination and philosophy, and advocated divination and philosophy have a common theoretical basis. In addition, aiming at the shortcoming of Wang Bi and Cheng Yi's view on the relationship between images and principles, Wang Fu-Chih claimed that we couldn't explore on the Yi when forgoing the images.The third chapter mainly discusses Wang Fu-Chih's criticism and innovation on the image-numberology. He thought Yi-ology was established by images and principle resided in images. Firstly,Wang Fu-Chih put forward emphasis on both Qian and Kun by researching on the origination of Yi, and he thought it was a general principle of Yi-ology. Secondly, Wang Fu-Chih laid special stress on the unity of inevitability and contingency, and he thought the change of the universe didn't follow the fixed pattern. Then he pointed out Meng Xi, Jing Fang and Shao Yong were contrary to the general principle. On this basis, Wang Fu-Chih made a new interpretation on the order of the hexagrams. On one hand, he analyzed the view on the order of the hexagrams in Xugua zhuan and Zagua zhuan. On the other hand, he put forward two new patterns on the order of hexagrams based on the principle of emphasis on both Qian and Kun. Besides, Wang Fu-zhi mainly used obversion and inversion, the change of hexagrams, Jin-yao and Tui-yao to explain Yi.The forth chapter is the research on the ontology of Wang Fu-Chih. He considered that Taiji was the composition of Li and Qi, and made up the shortfall of Zhu Xi's view on the relationship between Li and Qi. In addition, Wang Fu-Chih explained the relationship between Taiji and Yin Yang based on the principle of emphasis on both Qian and Kun, and advocated they existed in the same time. Because Yin and Yang are both opposite and complementary to each other, so the universe is constantly running. In addition, the movement of Yin and Yang follows the principle of manifestation and hiding. Then cosmic inventory has different morphology and properties. But all the things have the whole body of Taiji, and they exist in the same time.The firth chapter mainly illuminates Wang Fu-Chih's view on the relationship between heaven and human. Firstly, Wang Fu-Chih explained the origination of human nature from the movement of Qi. He thought human nature was not static, and it was always in a development process. Besides, he was against the view of nature of temperament and thought it was gift not human nature. And more importantly, he advocated human nature was the combination of moral reason and physical nature. In addition, Wang Fu-Chih analyzed the relationship between mind, human nature and emotion. Then he put forward the theory of cultivation. At the last, Wang Fu-Chih drew a distinction between heaven and human from the perspective of moral reason. Then he claimed human was the master of the universe, and human could be assisted to the heaven.In the conclusion part, the paper summarizes the significance and value of Wang Fu-Chih's Yi-ology.