Reaserch On The Relationship Between Yi-ology And Neo-Confuscianism Of Song Dynasty

Yi-ology dates back to a remote source and lasts for thousand years.It plays a significant role in the formation and development of Neo-Confucianism(Lixue,Study of Principle,理学),mainly benefiting from its special thinking characteristics and theoretical features.Yi-ology of pre-Qin not only vividly shows traditional philosophy’s fundamental value orientation:revere the rule of heaven and develop the power of man;it also generates two distinguished thinking modes,which are called adopting emblems(Quxiang,取象)and adopting connotations(Quyi,取义).Reaching their highest respectively,these two thinking modes help form the Han Yi-ology,which emphasizes the deduction of numerology(Xiangshu,the study of emblems and numbers,象数),and the Xuan Yi-ology,emphasizing the exploration of philosophical connotations(Yili,义理).They open the broad horizon from universal being to human society,accumulate abundant philosophical concepts,categories and propositions,establishing the theoretical tendency of linking heaven to man,emblem to connotation.That’s how it provides the necessary theoretical basis for the development of Song Yi-ology and for the renovation of Confucianism.Focusing on the producing process of Neo-Confucianism,we can see it mainly exploring the interaction between the prosperity of Yi-ology and the rise of Neo-Confucianism in the early Song Dynasty.At that time,the Confucian scholars especially focus on the research and explication of philosophical connotations in Yi-ology,and differently presented as "Pragmatism school"(经世派)and"Academism school"(明体派).The former tends to be more conservative.They don’t use the controversial texts such as(《系辞》)when choosing texts;they stand in the opposite to Numerology in thinking modes.They tend to emphasize the power of man in regard to the interpretation of Yi-ology,showing great theoretical interest in social politics and moral cultivation.However,the latter reflects some integration.They discuss the foundation of integrating Numerology and philosophical annotation,which lays the groundwork for Neo-Confucianism to propose its ontological concepts.As for the interpretation of Yi-ology,it tends to mix pragmatism and academism together,starts the topic of "Nature(Xing,性)and Way of Heaven(Tiandao,天道)",thus responding to renaissance of Confucianism.Zhou Dunyi,Shao Yong,Zhang Zai try to begin the topic of "Nature and Way of Heaven" in Confucianism by establishing their theories on Yi-ology’s main point which is "proposing the way of heaven in order to know Man".Zhou fully inherits the thinking modes of Yi-ology,proposing the "Human Ultimate"(Renji,人极)by depicting "Supreme Ultimate"(Taiji,太极).He firstly puts forward the cosmogony of"Ultimate less(Wuji,无极)to Supreme Ultimate",and links to moral subject with the medium of "Sincerity"(Cheng,诚),realizing the communication of Yi-ology and The Doctrine of he Mean(Zhong《中庸》).Shao not only presents the process of creation by numerological deduction,constructs a set of hierarchical and orderly diagram of Universe,but also explores the changes of Yin-Yang(阴阳)in numerological deduction,trying to make it the shared principle of heaven and human society.Basing on this,he emphasizes that the Essence(Ti,体)antedates heaven and the Function(Yong,用)postdates heaven.In this way,he makes positive trials to reconstruct the harmonious theories of "harmony between Man and Nature",featuring"from Heaven to Man" and "from Essence to Function“.Zhang explores the principle of heaven by elucidating Yi-ology,proposing several theoretical statements such as"the Great Void(Taixu,太虚)is ether(Qi,气)" "Yin-Yang interacts" "enmity could be conciliated".These theories not only have greatly enriched and fulfilled the Heaven Theory of Confucianism,but also revealed and criticized the fallacy in Buddhism and Taoism.At the same time,he clearly asserts that the learning of Yi-ology is the way of heaven and revealed in man,and that knowing the heaven is the premise of knowing Nature and Fate(Ming,命).He also unifies way of heaven and power of man with the medium of Nature and Fate.Generally,although Zhou,Shao and Zhang explicitly use Yi-Ology to perfect the cosmology and build the necessary theoretical basis of moral metaphysics on Mind-Nature for Neo-Confucianism.Zhu Xi and Cheng brothers play a crucial role in the construction of Confucian moral metaphysics.It mainly benefits from their exploration of Yi-ology’s philosophical connotations and their philosophical thinking.Cheng Yi dedicates his life to Cheng Shi Yi Zhuan to carry forward philosophical connotations.During the commentary and explication of YiJing Cheng Yi continuously strengthens the interaction of Yi-ology and Neo-Confucianism.First of all,he inherits and carries forward the philosophical connotations of Yi-ology,highlighting its unique status.After synthesizing the discussion about the relationship of emblem,number and texts,he comes up with "the unity between Essence and Function,the consistency between appearance and latency",which breaks through traditional philosophical views on the relationship between Essence and Function,and from this he takes "heavenly principles" as the unifier of universe ultimate entity and value ultimate entity.Secondly,based on the elaboration of Yi-principle he definitely praises Confucian moral rules and propagates values of maintaining harmony and order of the universe,society and life.Thirdly,during the process of explicating Yi-principles he refers to history events and makes a comprehensive study of The Four Books to highlight the realistic function of moral practices,and that is also closely corresponding to the Renaissance of Confucianism.Zhu Xi pays very much attention to the study of Yi-ology as well.His discussion on Yi-ology plays a significant role in the maturation of his own thoughts.Zhu comes up with "universality and particularity" clearly during discussing the relationship of the Supreme ultimate and hexagram,and based on studying the relation between the Supreme ultimate,Yin-Yang,and things,he also further explicates his speculative discussing on diverse philosophical topics such as Principle-Ether(理气),Principle-Things(理事).Meanwhile,he emphasizes that sages should be indoctrinated by divination and advocates the recovery of "the original meaning of Yi is divination".He reflects the disadvantages of traditional Confucian classics by updating the reading method of Book of Changes(Yijing,《易经》),in order to shake the foundation of the Five Classics’superiority and encourages The Four Books as new authority’s texts.Profoundly,it releases the thought of Neo-Confucianism from the frame of Yi-ology.From this view,as the understanding of Yi-principle goes deeper,the discourse system of Neo-Confucianism would become more and more complete.However,it is also a constantly declining process of Yi-ology’s discourse as well as the rising of Neo-Confucianism’s original value.Neo-Confucianism take the theory of Mind-Nature(Xinxing,心性)as an important project to remold traditional Confucianism.As for the ideological resources,they not only depend on Mencius’s doctrine,but also put value on developing the theory of Mind-Natue,and self-cultivation in Yi-ology.Zhou Dunyi,Shao Yong and Zhang Zai have been influenced by "That which ensues as the result(of their movement)is goodness;that which shows it in its completeness is the natures(of men and things)"in Yi-ology,concern the process of "the complete of Nature" especially,focusing on elucidation of the "induction and interaction" between way of Heaven and Human.However,Cheng Brothers prefer to discuss how to directly transform the universal entity into moral ultimate entity which shows mature ontological thinking mode.Due to the different understanding of the relationship between Human and Heaven,they chose different paths when it comes to the problem of "the exhausted exploration of principle"(Qiongli,穷理),"the complete development of the Nature"(Jinxing,尽性),"the mastering of Fate"(Zhiming,至命).This difference is enlarged to the difference of Principle(Li,理)and Mind(Xin,心)in Lu Jiuyuan and Zhu Xi.Zhu inherits and carries forward Cheng Yi’s school.Firstly he affirms the theoretical value of "That which ensues as the result(of their movement)is goodness,and confirms that the principle of ultimate entity is embodied inhuman nature,which can be regarded as a supplement to Confucian theory of human nature including Mencius’theory of the goodness of human nature.Then based on this,he begins with his ontological theory of Supreme Ultimate,Yin-Yang,Movement-Quiescence(Dongjing,动静),clarifies the relationship between Mind,Nature and Emotion(Qing,情).In the theory of cultivation,Zhu Xi not only stresses the necessary of "reach the things to exhaustedly explore the principle" basing on the understanding of hexagrams,but also develops the philosophical connotations of Yi-ology and proposes the original theory of cultivation such as "the strength of Qian(乾)and the obedience of Kun(坤)","the emergence of Fu(复)and Gen(艮)".Lu Jiuyuan carries forward the theory of Cheng Hao,regarding philosophy of Yi as the ultimate entity spread in the universe.Then he debates with Zhu Xi on the topic of "Ultimate less and Supreme Ultimate",and transforms the pursuit of heavenly ultimate entity into subjective inner Mind-Nature.Therefore,Lu advocates that people should realize the principle of their own mind and learn the simplicity of Yi from The Great Treatise(Xici,《系辞》),reaching the self-awareness of morality in the process of "cleansing minds and retiring in the secrecy(of their own consciousness)".As a descendant of Lu’s School,the Yi-ology of Yang Jian starts from "self" notion,completely abandoning the discussion of cosmogony.Influenced by the thought of thoughtlessness,inaction,Silence without activity in Yi-ology,he stresses the cultivation of "go with the straight mind" and takes it as the daily way of Yi-ology,which fatherly promotes the deep melting between the classics and treatises of "Book of Changes" and the study of "the Four Books".Generally,Neo-Confucianism scholars place much importance on studying Yi-ology and promoting philosophical connotations of Yi-ology.The prosperity of Song Yi-ology and Neo-Confucianism benefit by associating together.Song Yi-ology play an important role in the formation and development of Neo-Confucianism.First of all,the former provide necessary discourse support for discussing the Confucianism topic"Nature and Heavenly principle" with its unique concepts,categories and propositions.Secondly,by promoting the formation and development of philosophical connotations,carrying forward the concept of "Heaven and Man",making thoughts of "Essence and Function" more perfect,and bringing on the rethinking of self-cultivation theory,Yi-ology’s thinking mode rich in characteristics help the thinking mode of Neo-Confucianism become mature.Thirdly,it sticks to inherit and develop Confucianism values and ideal so that it helps Neo-Confucianism to establish the state of "Confucian orthodoxy" with content,form and carrier.It is exactly for the great support from Yi-ology,Confucianism reconstructs authority in the face of Buddhism and Taoism.It not only reflects its strong ability of cultural self-repairing,but also maintains and strengthens the discourse of Confucianism-centered Chinese Culture.