| Chen Chun is a important student of Zhu Xi’s in his later years, who was the most faithful custodians and champions of Zhu Xi’s neo-Confucianism. The Pei-hsi tzu-i is the mature masterpiece of Chen Chun, and it is the embodiment of Chen Chun’s academic thought and characteristic. So it deserves a more in-depth study and discussion.The Pei-hsi tzu-i is a philosophical book, that was based on neo-Confucian terms explained. This book contains twenty-six pivotal neo-Confucian terms, such as Nature, Tai Chi, Tao, Li, Qi, etc. Under the background of the Four Books study in the Song dynasty, Chen Chun selected neo-Confucian terms from the Four Books and its related research works. Then, Chen Chun arranged these terms into the light of the neo-Confucian system. Simultaneously, Chen Chun absorbed and utilized the theories of Zhou Dun-yi, Zhang Zai, Cheng Cheng and Zhu Xi, to explained them, thus built a logic system of neo-Confucian terms.The Pei-hsi tzu-i is the embodiment of Chen Chun’s neo-Confucianism. Chen Chun established a system of the Learning of Nature and Principle in the framework of Zhu Xi’s theory. Meanwhile, Chen Chun deepened and revised Zhu Xi’s theory when he was analysis the ideological content of neo-Confucian terms. So it has its own theoretical features. However, Chen Chun excessive maintained Zhu Xi’s neo-Confucianism, as well as criticize the heterodoxy, so there are something limited and impropriate in Chen Chun’s neo-Confucianism. But it is crucial to improve the status of Zhu Xi’s and carry forward his Neo-Confucianism.Chen Chun, on the one hand, constructed a logic system of neo-Confucian terms, based on the analysis of the connotation of the important neo-Confucian terms and its internal connection; on the other hand, constructed a neo-Confucian system, which is the unity of heaven and human. In addition, by means of explaining the neo-Confucian terms, Chen Chun unified the research methods of the Han School and the Song School, in order to realized the communication of the Confucian classics and neo-Confucianism.Therefore, The Pei-his tzu-i has a unique academic features and value, and it plays an irreplaceable role in the development and dissemination of theory of Zhu-zi. |
