Rectifying The Heart/mind And Making The Will Sincere: The Core Of Yang Shi’s Thought

A number of studies of Yang Shi’s thought were limited by their topics,while were not clearly about what the core of Yang Shi’s thought was.This article hold the opinion that the real core of Yang Shi’s thought was Zheng Xin Cheng Yi（rectifying the heart/mind and making the will sincere）.Some of studies believed that the core was Yang Shi’s explanation of The Doctrine of The Mean.However,Yang Shi did attach great importance to the Four Books including The Doctrine of The Mean,but in fact,he used them to construct his own theory.In Yang Shi’s opinion,the theory of Zheng Xin Cheng Yi effectively responded to the realistic problems and theoretical problems faced by Neo-Confucianism at that time.What’s more,as the representative of the Southern Spread of Taoism,his theory of Zheng Xin Cheng Yi had profound historical influence.Therefore,this paper discussed the political,theoretical and historical dimensions thoroughly to show that the theory of Zheng Xin Cheng Yi was the core of Yang Shi’s thought.Politically,Yang Shi was eager to solve domestic strife and foreign aggression that between the Northern and Southern Song Dynasty just like other Neo-Confucianists,which particularly showed in his thought’s core Zheng Xin Cheng Yi.This was embodied in（1）his re-criticism on Wang Anshi’s political reform（2）his political opinions（3）his way of charactering wise emperor and excellent ministers.To break,then to establish from general political principle as well as specific political personality.Theoretically,Yang Shi’s theory of Zheng Xin Cheng Yi inherited and developed the thoughts of the Cheng brothers.This was mainly reflected in（1）the distinction and communication between the metaphysical world and the physical world.On the one hand,Yang Shi inherited the metaphysical world established by the Cheng brothers,which was the basis of the theory of Zheng Xin Cheng Yi.On the other hand,Yang Shi developed Cheng Hao’s theory of exerting one’s heart to link the metaphysical world with the physical world.（2）The investigation of Metaphysical heart/mind and Individual heart/mind.Yang Shi regarded the heavenly principles as the source of the pure Metaphysical heart/mind and accepted the existence of various problems in the Individual heart/mind.（3）Maintaining the individual heart/mind,mainly by opposing partiality and emphasizing straightness.The above three aspects also responded to Buddhism’s criticism of Confucianism’s lack of metaphysic.Historically,Yang Shi’s theory of Zheng Xin Cheng Yi influenced the Southern Spread of Taoism,which mainly reflected by Zhang Jiucheng and Zhu Xi.Zhang Jiucheng,Yang Shi’s student,developed Yang’s thought.He regarded individual heart/mind as the internalization of the metaphysical heart/mind,which became the forerunner of the Luo Study to Lu Xiangshan’s Heart-mind Study.Zhu Xi summed up his own thoughts with Zheng Xin Cheng Yi and revised Yang Shi’s theory.His thoughts was the ultimate and biggest fruit of the Southern Spread of Taoism.