An Annotative Study Of The "Four Terminals Theory" In Mencius

According to the theoretical interpretation of the four ends theory,starting from the fact of existence,there are four emotions for individual existence to survive in the world(compassion,shame,respect,right or wrong),which not only belong to the true heart and nature of individual existence,but also serve as the basis for correct handling of things and things by individual existence.They are the beginning of the circle of individual existence and the maturity of things.Emphasizing these four emotions can enable individuals to find clues to their true psychological content in the complex emotions generated by their interactions with characters,and to find clues to the true existence of individuals that can be established and upheld in the world.Individual existence can seize this true starting point and expand from there,becoming one’s own goodness and familiarity with things.After briefly describing Mencius’ theory and related research on the Four Duans Theory,the paper focuses on explaining Zhu Xi and Wang Shouren’s interpretation of the Four Ends Theory and its related content.In the final chapter,Huang Zongxi and Dai Zhen are used as examples to briefly describe the evaluation of their theoretical interpretation in the later Ming and Qing dynasties.Individual existence in the world is ’necessary’,and the four ends arise within it.Zhu Xi interprets Mencius’ four ends and their relationship with the mind based on the theory of "mind unifies temperament".The nature of individual existence is inherent in the principles of heaven,earth,and human beings,and the mind of individual existence integrates two aspects of one’s own existence,emotion and nature.In Zhu Xi’s view,the heart is emotion,and the sense of the heart and diplomacy are mutually initiated as emotions;The heart is not about nature,and it can generate energy and reason.However,most of the time,it falls into the shadow of material desires and privacy,so in most cases,the heart is not a direct expression of nature.Wang Shouren’s "conscience oriented" theory creatively incorporates the four emotions that lead people back to the true psychological content into a "conscience" ontology.The current true knowledge of the four true emotions is the true essence of an individual’s existence and the true expression of the individual’s inherent nature.The relationship between the four ends and the heart and nature becomes that of emotion,heart,and nature;The unity of the three is only the inherent nature of individual existence,which has different names according to the individual’s living conditions and facing different situations,such as compassion,shame,and so on.