A Study on Zhou Dunyi and Yangming Xin-Xue

周敦颐与阳明心学

Zhou Dunyi is regarded as a precursor of Li-Xue, which is called Neo-Confucianism. So, it could be say that Zhou Dunyi is a precursor of Song-Ming-Li-Xue. As is well known, Zhu xi is a synthesizer of Li-Xue in Song Dynasty, which is called Dao-Xue; Wang Yangming is a synthesizer of Li-Xue in Ming Dynasty, which is called Xin-Xue. Dao-Xue and Xin-Xue were engaged in an unyielding confrontation for many centuries in Asian areas. It is certain that Dao-Xue and Xin-Xue both succeed to the resources of Zhou Dunyi together, but it is not easy to confirm that the resources of Zhou Dunyi are common to both sides taking an unyielding confrontation into consideration. Usually, Zhou Dunyi is recognized as a Master of Dao-Xue rather than Xin-Xue. But in this paper, I try to give a question to this prevalent view, like this: Yang-Ming-Xin-Xue much absorbed and developed the Thought of Zhou Dunyi than Zhu-Xi-Dao-Xue did. In order to prove this assertion, I take two steps. The first is about Daotong, the second is about sincerity. In conclusion, while Wang Yangming build his own thought of moral philosophy, he fully absorbed Zhou Dunyi's thought of sincerity, and concreted his typical moral philosophy, which is Liangzhi-Xue. I could say that besides the viewpoint of Zhu xi, there is another viewpoint of Wang Yangming to understand the thought of Zhou Dunyi properly.