Heart Namely Gas:the Study On Huang Zongxi’s Philosophy

With the core proposition of "Heart namely Gas", the theoretical purpose of this thesis is a new interpretation of the philosophy of Huang Zongxi in the fundamental structure of noumenon-effort-realm. Through the adjustment of the relationship, Huang’s philosophical thought has realized the unity of form, gas, heart, nature, feeling, noumenon and effort. In the issue of ontology, the philosophy of Huang is a system of the unity of form, gas, heart and nature in order to the principle of "Substance namely Noumenon", from the transformation of ontology from gas to heart. It is rooted in Zhan Ruoshui that the theoretical origin of Huang’s unity of form, gas, heart and nature, so Huang is one member of Zhan’s school. In the relationship of noumenon and effort, Huang has realized the unity of noumenon and effort. Huang’s unity of noumenon and effort consists of the theory of effort and realm, so the explaining and discussing in the form of the unity of noumenon and effort is not including the theory of realm.Chapter One:It is the source and course of philosophical thought of Huang Zongxi. It is an investigation of Huang’s inheritance and development of Liu’s philosophy that consists of three aspects from learning experience to developing and debating Liu’s thought. In general, Huang has inherited the philosophical creed and academic spirit of his teacher Liu. Nevertheless, Huang has been unable to distinguish the difference of Wang Yangming’s and Liu’s philosophy, when given a new interpretation of Wang’s philosophy as the standard of Liu’s. So, Huang’s philosophical thought tends to Wang, and rejects Liu’s thought of Neo-Confucianism. Not only Ming Confucianism case compiled by Huang exerts great influence, but misdirects the later studies at the same time. Up to now, it is a misunderstanding that Liu and Huang belong to the Yangming’s school.Chapter Two:It is a theory of gas that "the world full of gas". Huang’s unity of form and gas, and nature and gas have being discussed in this part as the core proposition of "the world full of gas". In view of form and gas, Huang’s philosophy is that form is not from the gas and gas has the rational form, so gas is the thing with two names called gas and form. In the form of gas not in the form of form that form and gas has being united, gas has the capability of self-organization or self-methodization consequently. Not only Huang’s unity of form and gas has changed the fundamental structure of Cheng-Zhu’s system, but also changed the fundamental way of Cheng-Zhu’s system. As the principle of gas one thing with two names, Huang has reached a conclusion of which the basic attribute of temperament is the nature. In the view of Huang Zongxi, temperament is the thing and nature is the form as the relationship of form and gas. So the point view of Huang that the difference of gas or temperament decides the difference of nature has criticized of Zhu Xi’s point of view that the difference of form decides the difference of nature. Integrated view of Huang’s unity of form and gas, nature and gas, his statement of "the world full of gas" is a ontological proposition.Chapter Three:It is a theory of heart that "the world full of heart". Huang’s unity of heart and nature, and heart and form have being discussed in this part as the core proposition of "the world full of heart". Although Huang have a high regard for "the mind is principle" of Lu-Wang’s system, the understanding of "the mind is principle" is different between Huang and Lu-Wang of which is that the unity of heart and nature directly equated the the unity of heart and nature. Huang has made a distinction of the relationships between heart and nature and heart and form. Therefore in the form of heart that form and gas has being united, Huang has realized the unity of heart and nature and heart and form. So in position of the philosophy of the mind, Hang’s philosophical proposition of "the world full of heart" has a dual meaning of cultivation of the mind and epistemology of the knowledge which not included in the system of Lu-Wang’s philosophy. With the same position of his statement of "the world full of gas", Huang’s statement of "the world full of heart"is also a ontological proposition too.Chapter Four:It is a transformation of ontology from gas to heart in the statement of "Heart namely Gas". Huang’s unity of heart and gas, and unity of form, gas, heart and nature have being discussed in this part as the core proposition of "Heart namely Gas". On the relationship between heart and gas, Huang’s standpoint which explains heart with gas instead of explaining gas with heart, belongs to Zhan Ruoshui school not to Yangming school that explains heart with gas. Huang’s unity of form, gas, heart and nature is a transformation of ontology from gas to heart in the statement of "Heart namely Gas" which rooted in Zhan Ruoshui. Therefore, we summarize that Huang’s philosophic thinking belongs to Zhan Ruoshui school not to Yangming school. Meanwhile, there is no controversy or argument with the nature of Huang Zongxi’s philosophy that is recognized as the materialism or idealism, or as the generative theory or ontology.Chapter Five:It is a theory of the unity of noumenon and effort in the statement of "Effort is the Noumenon". The discussion of the relationship between the noumenon and the effort of Huang Zongxi concerns the division and judgement of Yangming school, so this chapter is divided into two parts to discuss. In the first section, that Huang defends Yangming school has been discussed. At the same time that Huang corrects Yangming school has been discussed in the second section. The unity of noumenon and effort of Huang has insisted Zhan Ruoshui and Liu Zongzhou’s thought that includes conceptual distinction in nature and heart, point of view of the unity or not of nature and heart, as well as providing heart with nature. So, it is the theory of effort that the noumenon ensures the effort, and it is the theory of realm that the effort ensures the noumenon. Based on the criticism and adjustment of Yangming school, Huang’s the unity of noumenon and effort has realized the the unity of constringency and scatter, dominant and streaming, effort in heart and in affair.Chapter Six:It is the achievement and fault of philosophical thought of Huang Zongxi. Liu Zongzhou as the teacher of Huang in the way of construction of philosophy and Huang in the way of compilation of the Ming Confucianism case and the Song-Yuang Confucianism case have completed the summary of Neo-Confucianism. Consequently only Huang but also Liu is the rearguard of Neo-Confucianism. Moreover the statement of "Effort is the Noumenon" of Huang has laid a philosophical foundation for the eastern Zhejiang School, but it is merely a hand of his theory of the unity of noumenon and effort that is the succession of his teacher Liu’s opinion. So don’t neglect his teacher’s contribution on the one hand, don’t ignore the misunderstanding by eastern Zhejiang School on the other hand. Generally speaking, Liu as the teacher of Huang marks the end of the Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming Dynasties, and Huang marks the beginning of textual research and sound scholarship in Qing Dynasty. Huang Zongxi is a transitional figure who does not deviate the appearance of the scholars of the Ming Dynasty and holds the academic spirit of the scholars of Qing Dynasty all in all.