The Difference And Similarity Of Wangbi And Guoxiang's View About Nature

The discourse analyzes the philosophers'view of nature who lived before Ch'in Dynasty, on the basis, it puts forward three meanings of nature in three administrative levels: existential meaning of nature idea, which refers to Tao and the natural existence of everything on earth; attribute meaning of nature idea, which points two meanings, one is attribute of Tao, as attribute of Tao, it means that attribute of Tao is no affectation,naturalness, the other indicates natural essentiality of everything on earth, namely spontaneousness of everything on earth; The principle meaning of nature idea, one refers to inaction of Tao, which means that Tao don't disturb the world, neither govern them, the other is self-action of the matter, which means that matter is autogenous and natural. The meaning of nature in the three administrative levels becomes idealistic and cultural precondition that is used to contrast Wangbi's concept of nature with Guoxiang's view of nature. About the view of nature in ancient philosophy of China, there are different kinds of understandings.In the written by Mr. Fanglitian, he also just concludes the two meanings of"nature", that is"natural attribute"and"inaction"; he doesn't analyze the existential meaning of nature. Mr.Xujianliang from Northeast University makes special analyses and research about the view of nature, in the book< Research about ethic thoughts of Metaphysics in the Wei and Jin Dynasties >, he points out that Metaphysics in the Wei and Jin Dynasties inherit the thought of , and regards the nature as continuous topic. In a word, there are different meanings from three dimensions about the view of nature in Metaphysics in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, namely ontology, the theory of existence and methodology. The ontology indicates the foundation of the existence in world; the theory of existence points out the natural essentiality and natural state of everything on earth; the methodology denotes temporization and inaction. Though he misunderstands the meaning of natural attribute and comes down to ontological meaning, his other analyses is quite idiographic.In the next place, about Wangbi's and Guoxiang's view of nature, they all think that the attribute meaning of nature idea is essentiality, the view of nature in principle is inaction; they don't distinguish the two different meanings. Even they make a partition; they still don't indicate the causation. They don't make further research about whether Wangbi and Guoxiang's view of nature is coherent in essence.Mr.Tangyongtong writes an article and points out for the first time that philosophy in Han Dynasty investigates the issue of cosmology, the Metaphysics in the Wei and Jin Dynasties make a research about ontology. In the basis of such definition about Metaphysics in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Mr. Tang indicates further that"nothing"in Wangbi's thought is not opposite to"ens", it is the foundation and root about the everything on earth ,society and life。In this way, the problem about existential meaning of nature idea in Wangbi's philosophy is resolved. In the attribute meaning of nature idea, Mr.Lichangshu analyzes it particularly, indicates that the meaning of essentiality in Wangbi's and Guoxiang's philosophy is somewhat different, but he just analyzes the surface difference, and doesn't indicate the deep reason.This discourse gives material and overall analyses about the idea of nature, on this basis; it analyzes Wangbi and Guoxiang's view of nature. In existential meaning of nature idea, there is noumenon of existence in Wangbi's view of nature, namely Tao, but there isn't noumenon of existence in Guoxiang's view of nature. Though Guoxiang uses"convert by itself"to explain the creation and existence of everything on earth, virtually he annuls the problem how the world come into being at all, which makes the world become the existence that disengage the inevitability of cause and effect, as a result, the world turn into occasional existence without self-reason.In attribute meaning of nature idea, Wangbi's attribute meaning of nature idea is the essentiality of everything on earth, though there are similar meanings in Guoxiang's idea of nature, but because their comprehension about the noumenon of the world is different, Wangbi's"essentiality"refers to attribute which the matter owns itself, but Guoxiang's"essentiality"refers to not only the natural attribute of the matter itself, but also refers to the social attribute of the matter, it includes varieties of artificial factor, The most representation is"Mingjiao". Thus the difference between Wangbi and Guoxiang's attribute meaning of nature idea is that there are more social attribute and artificial attribute in Guoxiang's view than Wangbi's. Although the principle meaning of nature idea in Wangbi and Guoxiang's thought is"inaction", and the essence of inaction is"action", the circumscription of Wangbi and Guoxiang's"inaction"is different. Wangbi's inaction takes the matter's natural attribute as standard, if its action exceed its natural attribute, it is action, or else it is inaction. Guoxiang's inaction is different, he sums up all exterior"Mingjiao"to the essentiality of the matter, as a result, if it exceeds its natural attribute, but still in social attribute scope, it is still inaction, in fact, his all action is inaction, so the difference between Wangbi and Guoxiang's attribute meaning of nature idea is that Guoxiang's understanding concludes more sociality and artificial character than Wangbi's understanding. Because there are still contradiction between noumenon and existence in Wangbi's ontology, in attribute meaning of nature idea, there is still the distinction between genuine and artificial character, correspondingly, there are distinction between action and inaction in the principle meaning of nature idea. In the view of nature, the uppermost meaning is the existential meaning of nature idea; the difference in existential meaning of nature idea is the main reasons that cause the difference in attribute meaning of nature idea and difference in principle meaning of nature idea.