A Study On The Theory Of "Ontology Of Yuanqi" Of Wang Ting-xiang

Wang Tingxiang was not only an advanced social reformer and learned scientist,but also a famous materialism philosophers. On the basis of natural science, he set alarge philosophical system of Ontology of Yuanqi. His Ontology of Yuanqi was thedeveloped peak of Chinese native Ontology of Yuanqi and a piece of sharp arson ofcritizing atheism system. Wang Tingxiang was the largest person of materialist and histhought was the represent of the highest achievements. That his thought appeard in the middle of the Ming Dynasty is not occasional butinevitable. His philosophical thought was the reflection of social contradictory andpolitical crises, and inevitable result of Cheng-Zhu's Li Xue inherent contradictions'developing. Just under the background, Wang Tingxiang inherited and developtZhangzai's Qi Lun, and established Qi Xue contending with Cheng-Zhu's Li Xue,andstrode forward the temple hall of materialism. On the basis of Ontology of Yuanqi, he put forward that there was no thing ordoctrine or principle, and thought that Yuanqi was the fundament. Therefore, he critizedcomprehensively Idealisms in the history and emerged his brave spirit. Wang Ting-xiang's Ontology of Yuanqi was the result of antiquity's products,especially the infuluence of Zhang-zai. In many aspects, he absorbed Zhang-zai'sthoughts, such as the relation among Taixu, Taiji and Yuanqi, the relations between themovement of Yuanqi and the Ontology of Yuanqi. In a word, Wang Ting-xiang'sthought was deeply affected by Zhang-zai's thoughts. Wang Ting-xiang thought that Yuanqi had five characters: no form, no boundary,no side, no beginning and no end. Except Yuanqi , all things had form, boundary, sideand beginning and end. The quality of Yuanqi was unchangeale. Xing was also the ownof Yuanqi natively.On the basis of this, he pointed out the dialectical unity of thecharacter of forever and temporary of Yuanqi.About the relation between YinYang and Yuanqi, Wang Tingxiang critizedCheng-Zhu's idea of "YinYang is Dao", meanwhile, he put forward that "YinYang wasYuanqi and the mutual function of both of them was the origin of all of things. Aboutthe relation of WuXing and Yuanqi, he held the idea that the Yuanqi was the source ofWuxing and refuted Chen-Zhu's point of view of WuXing's originating from Li. Aboutthe things and Yuanqi, he contended all the things stemmed from Yuanqi and whateverforms of objects all originated Yuanqi. Wang Tingxiang also inquired into the relation of Li and Qi. Absorbing Zhangzai'sthought and critizing Chen-Zhu's idea, he contended that "Qi was the basis of Li; Li isthe carrier of Qi". At the same time, he also analyzed "Li Yi was separate and different"and led to the path of materialism. Besides, he thought Yuanqi was always moving andchanging and that the process of Yuanqi producing all of the things was movement. Healso believed that Dao as the law of matters' movement was also always moving andchanging without stop. In the materialism system of "Ontology of Yuanqi", there was abundant dialectics.For example, he believed that the source of things' movement was their own inherentcontradiction, i.e. mutual function of YinYang. Besides of these, his dialecticsembodied in the following two sides : one was that Yin and Yang couldn't beseparated, the other was that both would not be emphasized at the same time. It couldbe said that his dialectics enriched and developt his Ontology of Yuanqi. Wang Tingxiang inherited and developed Zhang Zai's Qi Lun, and established QiXue of Materialism contending with Cheng-Zhu's Li Xue and Wang Shouren's Xin Xue.The purpose of the dissertation is trying to reveal the original appearce of the Ontologyof Yuanqi of Wang Tingxiang.