A Study Of Zhu Xi's Investigate Things To Extend Knowledge

Zhu Xi carried forward the thoughts of the ancestors and endowed Neo-Confucianism with broader connotation. He formalized and conceptualized Neo-Confucianism, advancing the theory to a metaphysical noumenon. In this context, Zhu Xi raised “li-yi-fen-shu” theory(one principle, various manifestations) and integrated universality and particularity, which contributed to the combination of metaphysical Neo-Confucianism and physical objects, making the Confucianism framework more exact and comprehensive. Under this guideline, Zhu Xi further issued the most important means to study Confucianism—“ge-wu-zhi-zhi”(to obtain knowledge by investigation of things). The means focuses on research in both objects in the universe and human society, and the Neo-Confucianism realization of the highest Ontology. It emphasizes both cognition of the outer world and the self-cultivation, as well as the importance of both theory and practice. This essay analyzes the means and content of “ge-wu-zhi-zhi” to show the sophistication of Zhu Xi's philosophy.