''Li'' ( zh, t=理, s=理, p=lǐ) is a concept found in neo-Confucian

Chinese philosophy Chinese philosophy originates in the Spring and Autumn period () and Warring States period (), during a period known as the "Hundred Schools of Thought", which was characterized by significant intellectual and cultural developmen ...

. It refers to the underlying reason and order of nature as reflected in its organic forms. It may be translated as "rational

principle A principle is a proposition or value that is a guide for behavior or evaluation. In law, it is a Legal rule, rule that has to be or usually is to be followed. It can be desirably followed, or it can be an inevitable consequence of something, suc ...

" "law" or " organisational rights". It was central to

Zhu Xi Zhu Xi (; ; October 18, 1130 – April 23, 1200), formerly romanized Chu Hsi, was a Chinese calligrapher, historian, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. Zhu was influential in the development of Neo-Confucianism. He con ...

's integration of

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

into Confucianism. Zhu Xi held that ''li'', together with '' qi'' (氣: vital, material force), depend on each other to create structures of nature and matter. The sum of ''li'' is the '' Taiji''. This idea resembles the

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

notion of ''li'', which also means "principle or ritual." Zhu Xi maintained, however, that his notion is found in ''

I Ching The ''I Ching'' or ''Yi Jing'' (, ), usually translated ''Book of Changes'' or ''Classic of Changes'', is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. Originally a divination manual in the Western Zho ...

'' (''Book of Changes''), a classic source of

. Zhu Xi's school came to be known as the School of ''Li'', which is comparable to

rationalism In philosophy, rationalism is the epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification".Lacey, A.R. (1996), ''A Dictionary of Philosophy' ...

. To an even greater extent than Confucius, Zhu Xi had a naturalistic world-view. His world-view contained two primary ideas: qi and li. Zhu Xi further believed that the conduct of the two of these took places according to the organisational principles of

Yin and Yang Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophy, Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the c ...

. Holding to Confucius and Mencius' conception of humanity as innately good, Zhu Xi articulated an understanding of ''li'' as the basic pattern of the universe, stating that it was understood that one couldn't live without ''li'' and live an exemplary life. Wang Yangming, a philosopher who opposed Zhu Xi's ideas, held that ''li'' was to be found not in the world but within oneself. Wang Yangming was thus more of an

idealist In philosophy, the term idealism identifies and describes metaphysical perspectives which assert that reality is indistinguishable and inseparable from perception and understanding; that reality is a mental construct closely connected to ide ...

with a different

epistemic Epistemology (; ), or the theory of knowledge, is the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge. Epistemology is considered a major subfield of philosophy, along with other major subfields such as ethics, logic, and metaphysics. Episte ...

approach. However in the practice of Traditional Chinese medicine the endogenous and exogenous interpretations of these two philosophical ideas are not seen as mutually exclusive.

Sources

''Li'' is well known and understood in the study, practice and application of Traditional Chinese Medicne. ''The Huangdi

Neijing In advanced traditional Chinese kung fu (martial arts), Neijing (Traditional Chinese: 內勁; pinyin: nèijìng) refers to the conscious control of the practitioner's qi, or "life energy", to gain advantages in combat. Nèijìng is developed by ...

'' (

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

: 黃帝內經;

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese for ...

: ''Huángdì Nèijīng''), meaning the ''Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor'' is the most important ancient text for the study of Medical and Daoist theory and lifestyle.

References

* Chan, Wing-tsit (translated and compiled). ''A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy''. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1963.

External links

Neo-Confucianism Zhu Xi Concepts in Chinese philosophy {{NeoConfucianism-stub

Sources

See also

References

External links