A Study On Wang Yangming’s Doctrine Of The Extension Of Innate Knowledge And Its Moral Practice

Wang Yangming was a famous philosopher of the Ming Dynasty,and his doctrine of the Extension of Innate Knowledge was the main idea we must learn.Wang Yangming’s thought of Innate Knowledge was built on the essence of Mencius’ Mind Nature Theory and Lu Jiuyuan’s Philosophy of the Mind,as well as on the consideration of some issues in Zhuzi’s Ideology.Unlike those philosophers who painstakingly constructed their own thought systems in their study rooms,Wang Yangming’s doctrine of Innate Knowledge was gradually formed in his continuous theoretical exploration and honing of his deeds,which was the soul of his moral practice.This paper is divided into three chapters,with Innate Knowledge as its core.The second chapter is devoted to explaining Wang Yangming’s doctrine of the Extension of Innate Knowledge.The course explores the development of the doctrine of the Extension of Innate Knowledge in the biographical and intellectual history of Wang Yangming,and explores its moral implications from the perspectives of the Instinct to Tell Right from Wrong,Heavenly Principle,Becoming Sage,and the Investigation of Things,as well as the Four-Sentences Teaching proposed by Wang Yangming in his later years to find the true way to conscience.The third chapter further elaborates on the methods and approaches of the Extension of Innate Knowledge from a practical standpoint.Specifically,it takes Knowledge-Action Unity as the mainline and the practice method of the Extension of Innate Knowledge as the sublimation,including Knowledge-Action Unity,Meditation,Introspection,Practical Training,Unmovedness and other specific efforts.Throughout his experience,from the beginning of the realization of the Tao in Longchang,to the pacification of rebellions,suppression of bandits,education of the people,and inspiration of people to do justice,all of which included his efforts of the Extension of Innate Knowledge and his practice in morality.The fourth chapter is based on the ideological revelation and contemporary significance of this paper for the doctrine of the Extension of Innate Knowledge.In general,Wang Yangming’s doctrine of the Extension of Innate Knowledge offers a fresh viewpoint on the pursuit and concern of human subjective initiative.This will contribute to solving the contemporary problems of "individuality" and "commonality" in morality,and will be of certain learning and guiding significance to our moral cultivation,character improvement,and the construction of decent social order.