On The Meaning Of "Reason" From The Perspective Of Zhu Zi 's Theory

"Li" is the core concept in Chu Hsi’s theory of "the Investigation of Things and the Perfection of Knowledge", which, according to Chu Hsi, is a proccess of effort in the practices of living or moral practices. Thus, by analysing "the Investigation of Things and the Perfection of Knowledge", we could grasp precisely the concrete meaning of Chu Hsi’s "Investigations of Li to the Utmost by Having Contact with Things", thereby to manifest the innate practical orientation in Chu Hsi’s "Li". For this purpose, the study focuses on Chu Hsi’s "Supplement to the Section of the Investigation of Things", discussing in turn the meanings of four key concepts, that is,"Having Contact with Things","Investigation of Li to the Utmost","Perfection of Knowledge" and "a wide and far-reaching Penetration". Based on this, two connotations of Chu Hsi’s "Li","the Reason for Which Things are" and "the Reason according to Which Things should be", have been probed respectively, and it has been pointed out that "the Reason according to Which Things should be" covers everything about human practices of living, including moral and non-moral realms, which are integrated in the methods and ways of human practices; meanwhile,"the Reason for Which Things are" does not indicate the objective law in the realm of facts. Although "the Reason for Which Things are" in Chu Hsi’s thought means further inquiry into the reason of "the Reason according to Which Things should be", however, the inquiry ends in "the Reason according to Which Things should be", which can be universally recognized, or, in another word,"the knowledge one already has of Li" in Chu Hsi’s "Supplement to the Section of the Investigation of Things". Therefore, Chu Hsi’s Li is a system of "Li", justifying the manifestations of "Li" by the entirty of the system of "Li", which is a kind of demostration of the whole. This entirety and consistency has become more evident through the ideal of "Principle is one but its manifestations are many", and obtained its metaphysical basis. Some scholars in modern times, analysing Chu Hsi’s "Li" by the distinction of "ought to be" and "to be", and interpreting it to be "Essence" or "Objective Law", has made the mistake of guessing the ancient based on the present, and could not unfold the system or world of meanings and principles in Chu Hsi’s thought.