Han Kangbo To Learn Thought

Han Kang-bo, who lived in the Eastern Jin dynasty, was a well-knowned specialist in I Ching learning and a great thinker in metaphysic. His main works that had spread down were Xi Ci Zhu, Shuo Gua Zhu, Xu Gua Zhu, Za Gua Zhu, and Bian Qian Lun. Han Kang_bo mainly succeeded and developed Wang Bi's idea who interpreted the Yi in philosophical connotations. He rejected, furthermore, the tradition of scholars of the Han Dynasty who interpreted the Yi in image-number. He made the Yi-principle to be much more metaphysical, and made Zhouyi to be one of the three metaphysical works abreast with Laozi and Zhuangzi. This paper discusses Han Kang-bo's thought on I Ching learning from following aspects:First, Zhouyi was a book elucidating connotations. Han Kang-bo put forward the new proposition of the 8 trigrams contains all principles of world. He pointed out that the 8 trigrams and 64 hexagrams contained the universal rule of nature and human life. If people hold the Yi-principle, they could know personnel change and phenomenon of the nature. So people could guide their lives by means of Zhouyi. On the relation of connotation and image-number, Han Kang-bo stressed that connotation overrules image-number. He pointed out that connotation was the noumenon of image-number, and image-number was the function of connotation. Connotation was not only metaphysical, but also beyond experience.Secondly, the pattern in Han Kang-bo's I Ching learning. Han Kang-bo had made use of philosophical connotations, timeliness implicated in the hexagrams and position of lines. While he interpreted Zhouyi in philosophical connotations, he abolished image-number completely. Besides interpreted Zhouyi in name of the hexagrams, he also interpreted the Yi in philosophical connotations of the 8 trigrams and 64 hexagrams. He construed the concepts of Dao, Qi, Bian, Tong of Yizhuan in a new angle. He regarded the metaphysical Dao as a finished noumenon, and physical Qi was in never stopping change. This idea was the beginning of Distinction of Dao and Qi in the history of Chinese Philosophy. He believed it was important to take different measures according to different occations.Thirdly, the theory of Dao Form of Han Kang-bo's I Ching learning. Han Kang-bo regarded Dao and Tai Ji as nihility body. Dao, which is unknown and invisible, is the beginning of all things on earth, it is a metaphysical existence. Tai Ji is the one straw which is disused in divination. Tai Ji has obvious innocentance and mysteriousness colour comparing with Dao. In his opinion, any generation or movement of all things of the univer was a course alone without any reason. He hold out that rulers administer country should also carry out the policy of letting nature take its own course.Fourthly, the theory of virtuous cultivation of Han Kang-bo's I Ching learning. Han Kang-bo believed it was the foundation of virtuous cultivation to know Dao and act according to principles of Dao. Things in the same direction with Dao will exist, or be destroyed. In country administration, he advocated to overmaster people with Yi-principle. He opposed to using military forces and punishment. On methods of virtuous cultivation, he stressed modesty and heartiness. He believed it was important to make sense of inappreciable sign, so he desired people to eliminate misfortune in their early period. He regarded Sun as a kind of virtue of self-restraint. He believed that Sun and Yi were two courses which transform mutually in certain scope. In Han Kang-bo's opinion, ideal personality should have broad-mind and strong suffering consciousness.In the final part, this paper appraises objectively Han Kang-bo's important position on history of Chinese philosophy and I Ching learning as well as his characteristic and shortage.