"Carry On The Past Heritage And Open Up The Future":Chen Que’s Restoration And Development Of Mencius’ Theory Of Human Nature

After the period of the Two Songs,the philosophy of Mencius in the Ming and Qing dynasties presented new characteristics.Based on the development of society and academic thought in the Ming and Qing eras,Mencius’s development focused mainly on criticizing Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism and reflecting on the Lu-Wang School of Mind,to meet the demands of the times for human liberation and attention to reality,while consolidating the mainstream position of Confucianism among the three teachings.This was reflected in the thinking characteristics of emphasizing practical matters,experience,and actual study.In particular,the study of the relationship between human nature and righteousness in Mencius became the main basis for interpreting the new Mencius school of thought by Confucians.Continuing from the philosophy of Confucius and Mencius,Chen Que called for the return to the original Confucian classics to rectify society and provide guidance for later generations.Chen Que traced back to Mencius and inherited the doctrine of innate goodness,inspiring later students and advocating the promotion of innate goodness.He promoted the spirit of adhering to the past and preparing for the future and was strongly opposed to the notion of human nature in Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism,which he believed had deviated from Mencius’s teachings.Although he followed the path of interpreting the generation of human nature with Qi,he emphasized more on postnatal evidence and practice in his argument for innate goodness,using "practice" to prove it,thus opening up the direction of the"cultivation-based theory of human nature".Chen Que constructed a new theory of human nature based on a monistic principle of innate goodness and a theory of human nature cultivation,with Mencius as the main resource for his thought.In his discussion of the monistic view of human nature,Chen Que used the debate between reason and desire to promote the transformation of the core values of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism.Chen Que’s discussion of the sensual aspect of human nature challenged the idea of "preserve reason and extinguish desire" in Confucianism,and more importantly,This provided a theoretical premise for the transformation of the dualistic form of understanding human nature.Chen Que went on to criticize Cheng-Zhu Neo-confucianism’s concept of human nature while also developing his thought on constructing human nature.This included revisiting the issue of the origin of innate goodness and the source of innate evil.On ontology,Chen Que relied on the conception of the universe in a state of cosmic biochemistry to re-interpret the concept of ontology in the linguistic system of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism,such as "heavenly destiny" and "the way of one yin and one yang." By integrating Mencius’s thought resources with the directions of qi,sensuality,and talent,Chen Que proposed the view that human nature is the nature of temperament,and that the nature of temperament is innate goodness.Regarding the propensity for evil in Song Confucianism,Chen Que argued for the differences in habit,examining evil through habit,and thus arrived at the monistic view of human nature advocated by Mencius.Habit can stain evil and can also promote goodness.Chen Que believed that"habit" was crucial to the distinction between postnatal and innate human nature and that one must be cautious about it.Thus,he constructed a theory of human nature cultivation that was centered on the cultivation of habit.This theory of human nature cultivation was formulated during a time when society was experiencing upheavals and disorder and was also a response to the trend of empty and verbose learning and the trend of overindulgence in Zen Buddhism and Confucianism towards the end of the Ming dynasty.Chen Que drew on the concepts of Mencius to propose that the good end is the beginning of human nature,that "maintenance and nourishment" is the way to cultivate human nature,that "caution and practice" promote human nature,and that the goal is to achieve goodness.He completed the complete development path of human nature cultivation based on this premise.Moreover,based on theoretical construction,Chen Que used concrete practical methods to discuss human nature cultivation,emphasizing the cultivation of qi and the elimination of bad habits.He advocated for the principle of consideration for oneself and others and established a foundational principle for Confucians in later generations.Chen Que witnessed the breaking of the rivers and mountains,the downfall of his homeland,the hardships and turbulence of life,yet he remained dignified and unaffected in his later years,like a steadfast pine tree in the midst of the cold of winter.In this difficult situation,Chen Que "synthesized Confucianism and Taoism,and judged the opinions of different scholars" and wrote articles such as "Explanation of the Nature" and "The Great Learning Debate",discussing learning and discussing Taoism with Zhang Lvxiang and others.He wrote articles such as An Explanation of Human Nature and Discussions on the Great Learning and discussed academic issues with Zhang Lüxiang and others.He once said that his views on funerals and the secular world differ from those of other scholars,while his views on human nature and the Great Learning are different from those of other Confucians.Chen Que’s independence and pioneering spirit reflect his awareness of the difficulties and responsibilities of his time,which were internalized as the "humanity" and "practical learning" spirits in his philosophy of human nature.It can be said that Chen Que’s exposition of the spirit of human nature redefined the.meaning of human nature as advocated by Mencius.Chen Que’s development of the concept of human nature is an important contribution to the development of human nature in the Ming and Qing dynasty.Chen Que’s philosophy of human nature reflects the inheritance and development of the Confucian doctrine of innate goodness,as well as the reassertion and reinterpretation of the meaning of innate goodness in Mencius’s thought.His work in this area reflects an aspect of the development of Ming and Qing Mencius thought towards an emphasis on human nature and reason.This is of great significance for the development of Confucianism and the study of human nature.More importantly,his shift in focus toward practice enriched the School of Outer Learning in Confucianism,corrected the trend of empty and verbose learning,and responded to the problems of his time.This demonstrates his keen awareness of his times.Liang Qichao evaluated Chen Que as a "pioneer of the spirit of his times," which is well-deserved.