The Analysis About Celestial Law And Human Desire Of Zhu Xi's Theory

The relation of celestial law and human desire is the main problem in thephilosophy of Song and Ming dynasty. It is also the main problem of Zhu XiNeo-confucianism. It occupies an important position in the system of Zhu XiNeo-confucianism. Considering of the background that makes his view come intobeing, this paper analyzes the theory about celestial law and human desire from thebasic, value, method on culture and affection to get all-round comprehension.The paper has four parts. At first, it clarifies the transfixion system between skyand human from the concept such as principle, gas, nature, spirit, desire. Then itclarifies how the human desire is born and its'connotation. Law and gas bringeverything in the world. It is nature that human gets from celestial law. And for thedifferent gas, human nature is divided principle nature and temperament nature. It isthe reason what causes the good and the evil. Spirit is "the prime of gas"and "thehuman consciousness", which is the unity of the spirit of tao and the spirit of man.Human desire is the evil when the spirit of tao can't control the spirit of man. Socelestial law can emerge only when the spirit of man is controlled by the spirit of tao.Second, it analyzes the value of the theory on law and desire from three couple ofconcepts: reason and desire, benevolence and benefit, the public and the private. Asfor the relation of reason and desire, the division between the spirit of man and humandesire of Zhu Xi's theory makes itself distinguish the asceticism and extremelypursuing material. However, it makes human need be the lowest level what causes thetension between reason and emotion. As for the relation of benevolence and benefit, ifbenevolence controls benefit, it will adjust the social relation. If make thebenevolence as benefit and keep benevolence out of benefit, it will cause moral just...