Research On Luo Qinshun's Thought Of Investigating Things To Extend Knowledge

As an important concept of The Great Learning,the thought "Investigating Things to Extend Knowledge(Ge-Wu-Zhi-Zhi)" presents a variety of characteristics for each scholar's interpretation due to the differences of individual thinking and era background.The emergence and development of Yangming's mind theory brought tremendous impact and challenge to Cheng Zhu's Neo-Confucianism.Luo Qinshun,a defender of traditional Cheng Zhu's Neo Confucianism,under the challenge of the mind theory,argued with Wang Yangming through letters on the thought "Investigating Things to Extend Knowledge",and formed his unique thought style of "Investigating Things" in the criticism of Yangming's mind theory.This article explores Luo Qinshun's ideology of "Investigating Things to Extend Knowledge" in his philosophical system.It begins with the analysis of the times of Luo Qinshun's life and the academic environment in which he situated,relates the social background to the emergence of the his idea "Investigating Things",explains the influence of society change and the time's discourse conversion on his philosophy,thus deeply probes into the connotation and valuation of his philosophical thought.His thoughts of "Investigating Things" is logically based on his another thought "Multiple Modes Share a Single Substance(Li-Yi-Fen-Shu)",trying to find the ultimate reason by grasping the principle of the differentiation of all things in the aspect of ontology,while in the aspect of heart and nature theory,it differentiate heart and nature by body and function as well as movement and stillness,elaborating the idea that nature is the body and heart is just its function.Through the argument of heart and nature,he wants to prove that nature is the very reason rather than heart,thus establishes the basic direction of "Investigating Things",he stresses that evaluating foreign objects and cultivating inner heart are two indispensable aspects.In the question of how to investigate things,Luo Qinshun advocates the way of the interactive inspecting between heart and things.He emphasizes not only to pay attention to the inner mind,but also to emphasize the objective knowledge.In Luo Qinshun's view,"Investigating Things" is not only about seeking reasons,but also striving for the unity of the internal and the external,and a thorough study of both reasons and inner heart should be conducted,so that it is possible to grasp the ultimate reason.The ultimate purpose of Investigate Things,in Luo's opinion,is to make the object and ego a whole world,which is a kind of spiritual realm where man and object unite as one,and also the "wise realm" that Luo had been pursuing.Luo Qinshun's thought has its own characteristics,but because of the limitation of time,it inevitably has certain limitations.