Xiong Shili’s Distinguishing Wisdom From Knowledge And Its Significance On Modernity

In order to explore the approach of the Chinese Modernity, Xiong Shili buildsontology and “the distinguishing wisdom from knowledge” in response to conflict andintegration of the china and West, Ancient and Modern, Science and Metaphysics. Hisontology has undergone a continuous change process. In1923,“Introduction toConsciousness-only Doctrine”, he accepted the Consciousness-only Doctrine, holdingview of twoness between substance and function with twoness between Seed andPhenomenon, Reality and Fancy; but in1926,“Introduction to Consciousness-onlyDoctrine”, he began to change, until in Zun-Wen-lu, he changed into twonessbetween substance and function, namely, no distinction between substance andfunction. In New Consciousness-only Doctrine, oneness between substance andfunction was further elaborated, moreover,“oneness between substance and function”meant “substance must be function”. However, it was not his philosophy finaldestination, in late years’ Essay on Mind Qian-kun-yan oneness between substanceand function was further evolved, substance-function being conclusive.Because of the universe’s dividing into two existence forms: substance andfunction, as for subject, getting to know substance and function produced, substancecognitive belongs to wisdom range and phenomenon(function)’s covering belongs toknowledge field. Corresponding to the changing of the ontology, his connotations andrelationships of “wisdom” and “knowledge” are evolving. In1923,“Introduction toConsciousness-only Doctrine”, wisdom that is knowledge moreover wisdom is aboutthe cognitive subject and state and knowledge is about the cognitive approach andform.The wisdom’s recognizing of Zhenru subject is fundamental wisdom, positivewisdom, the rest are inherited wisdom or false wisdom. In the bookConsciousness-only Doctrine，Zun Wenlu, exposing wisdom is proposed, which isontology and accepts the Western knowledge concept, knowledge is the straightbarrier of the exposing wisdom.New Consciousness-only Doctrine puts forward thatthe subject of the cognitive ontology is intuition and it is a blend of subject and ontology, so the wisdom means a self-evident, perfectly fused state. However, thesubject of cognitive phenomena is logical reasoning, which is the covering of intuitionthrough function,being danger of mere Xing Qi, so logical reasoning can be said thatthe subject of rational cognitive and way of scientific cognitive.On account ofsubstance must be function, although logical reasoning can not cover substance, it isindispensable for substance’s covering. If intuition means all witness and care, logicalreasoning means each display and implementation in New Consciousness-onlyDoctrine，then the “knowledge” is the unification of the two proposed by Xiong Shiliin Essay on Mind. Knowledge is no longer in want of a separate logical reasoning andis function of wisdom.Substance must be function, wisdom only exists in theknowledge.Corresponding to “the distinguishing wisdom from knowledge”, is China andWest, Ancient and Modern,Science and Metaphysics, Xiong Shili puts forwardScience and Metaphysics composing of advantages and disadvantages. Chinesescience is on basis of philosophy and it is inevitable to expose the substance withoutfunction, Western takes science as the basic feature, due to substance unseen, as aresult late-oriented, relegated to material things, people being mad mistake. Acombination of two is necessary. The differences between two sciences are not theNew and Old but Core, the Old or Chinese science, Philosophy, its core is Heart; theNew or Western science, Science, its core is Matter, however, Heart and Matter aretwo parts of the substance, so a combination of two is more and more evident. A realmodernity is a modernity integration of East and West, Ancient and Modern, Scienceand Philosophy.Standing on the basis of Xiong’s division between Western and Chineselearning, he reaches fusion purpose in the "wisdom" concept through a lifetime ofstruggle indeed. But the problem is that Xiong`s understanding about the westernlearning is not comprehensive, not a comprehensive understanding of science, soXiong does not complete the final mission of the fusion between West and China.