The Early Ming Zhuism Study

Early Ming Dynasty's Neo-confucianism,as the mainstream of Cheng-zhu's theory,inherited the spirit of Song-Yuan Dynasty's confucianism.Zhu Xi's theory was a transition from Wang Yangming's theory,playing a role as a link between past and future.Scholar discussed Zhu Zi's thoughts in a simple way,scrampling conclusion,and lack of integration and systematicness.They analysed internal contradictions of Zhu Xi's theory's on the ontology,the theory of human nature and practice,showing different comprehension and development of the early Ming's confuciansim by revealing theirs authentic features and inner system,providing a renew synical methods of understanding the conformation of Neo-confucianism.Infancy of the Ming Dynasty,one aspect,with the reverence and interaction between northern and southern style of study,Neo-confucianism was bounded by Zhu Xi's theory,no courage to transcend;the other aspect, based on the premise of respecting Zhu Xi's thoughts, most Neo-confucianism had various apprehension and elucidation.They began to rectify and break through Zhu Xi's thoughts,comprised a new academic trendency and promoted the development of Neo-confucianism.In the early Ming Dynasty,characterized by cooperation and correction, Cao Duan's and Xue Xuan's thoughts,familiar to Zhu Xi'theory,were reprensentative of northern Neo-confucianism.Cao Duan inherited the Cheng-Zhu's thoughts and established a theoretical system of "Tai Ji and Li"which was regarded as the highest category.He elaborated movement and stability of "Tai Ji",indicated "Tai Ji and Li"was the ultimate foundation of his ideology.The relationship among "Tai Ji","Yin Yang"and cosmos was metaphysics. The essencial of "Tai Ji" was the process of ontology and cosmic. Cao Duan reconstructed the picture of the heaven and the universe for the theory of the human nature.He wanted to pursuit the valuable happiness from Kong Zi and Yan Hui,then even paid the higher status to the "mind",but his minds just kept its natural states,no ontological meaning,no exceeding the realm of Zhu Xi's theory.Human nature in his thoughts only was the transition of must to just.Xue Xuan inherited Zhu Xi's theory of "Li and Qi". He advocated "Li and Qi" should never be divided successively, emphasized authenticity of "Li and Qi",and cleared up the metaphysic and transcendent of "Li" in sort of sense.At the same time,he also absorbed Zhang Zai's thoughts to enhance the important of the "Qi" with the generalizating all things'change. All what were demonstrated on the intrinsic coversion of the "Li"to the "Qi" aroused a boom of the"Guan Xue" in the Ming Dynasty. He inherited the Cheng-Zhu's "nature as truth",emphasized "nature was the base of knowledge",highlighted the ontological status of "nature". He also assisted "Fu Xing".Those foretasted the reverted from Zhu Xi to Lu Jiuyuan in a higher level in the Ming Dynasty.The thoughts of Wu Yubi's and Hu Juren's were examples of sourthen Neo-confucianism characterized with veneration and breakthrough.They had consciously integrated of Zhu Xi's thoughts and "Xin Xue". They not only inherited and developed some of the Zhu Xi's thoughts but also largely accepted the basic concepts of "Xin Xue"in a breakthrough way.Wu Yubi favored the theory of "Jing Guan"and "Xi Xin".He unitified the "Chi Jing Qiong Li",the "Jing Zuo Guan Wu" and the cultivation methods of self-thinking by Confucianism,Buddism and Taoism,showing a significant wholeness tendency.Hu Juren inherited and developed Zhu Xi's thoughts about the relationship of "Li and Qi",as the pioneer of "Yang Ming Xin Xue",but could not leapfrog the code of Zhu Xi's theory.He gave a new elaboration of "Zhu Jing Qiong Li"and paid much attention to inward experience of "Zhe Shi".Duaity of Wu Yubi's thoughts indicated the development of different methods of Neo-confucianism's. Wu Yubi and Hu Juren raised the status of the "Mind"which exposured the wane of Chen-Zhu theory and the prosperity of the "Xin Xue"Chen Xianzhang's thoughts of "Xin Xue'was shaddowded by Zhu Xi's ideology,as opposed to his teacher Wu Yubi,broke through the Zhu Xi's theory in a large scale.Since then the direction of Neo-confucianism transform from main Chen-zhu's theory to "Xin Xue".On ontology,he use "Dao"instead of "Li",put "Xin" atop of "Dao",and gave up the path of reading to displaying human's kindness,which came into being a way of teaching.lt could be say that Chen Xianzhang's thoughts of human nature had basically achieved and rectified the Zhu Xi's theory. Neo-confucianism's situation had changed and founded the overall transformation of Wang Yangming's theory.Thus Chen Xianzhang was a key figure of the Neo-confucianism.There were two evolutionary traces of recognization and explaination about Zhu Xi's theory in the early Ming Dynasty. Abo veall they preferred to discussing cosmology,stressed real "Qi",highlighted the status of "mind",came into being of Ming Dynasty's "mind"which were a academic contribution of Zhu Xi's theory.lt could be concluded that Confucian had different emphases on the problems,and expressed in the differences style of study between north and south.Zhu Xi's theory in early Ming Dynasty impacted positively on textual criticism,"Shi Xue"and books compiled in history.The development of the Neo-confucianism demonstrated on Zhu Xi's internal interpretation,amendment and breakthrough.Many new features of Neo-confucianism induced by Zhu Xi's thoughts in the early Ming Dynasty.