On The Epistemology Of Zhang Taiyan And Consciousness-only Theory

The formation of the Epistemology of Zhang Taiyan depended on multi ideological resources which from traditional thinking of China, Kant’s epistemology and then Yogacara Buddhism. Consciousness-only theory become the core of its epistemology, and Kant’s and Wang Yangming’s subjective-idealist epistemology also provided many ideas for the formation of his theory. In the process of the formation of epistemology also changed from the recognizing of experience to the heart-contral understanding. The ideas of Tai Yan’s theory changed a lot after he had been in the prison for 3 years, and the exploration of "truth" had become the focus in this phase of his study. This shift began in epistemology. The formation of his epistemological theory can’t escape the impact of this turning, and the theory of Yogacara become the basement for the epistemology can be established, and Tathata constituted the ontological premise of its subjective- idealist epistemology. As the basic structure, Four Views and Eight Consciousness combined with the priori form from Kant’s thought constituted the formation. And by the effect of Wang Yangming’s idea, Zhang Taiyan established a new relationship between knowing and doing. However, the introduction of foreign ideas into his own theoretical framework would make some problem, not only because some of the concepts and frameworks came from different theory, but also because of some confusion with the deviation of using. And exploring subjectivity in the field of epistemology makes the thought of Zhang Taiyan show the characteristics of the times.