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“Life must be studied in history”: The historical civilization dimension of Huang Zongxi and early psychology
Author: Chen Yun (Chinese Modern Thoughtful Civilization Research Institute, Zhejiang Major Academy of Ma Yifu Books)
Source: The author authorized the Confucian Network to publish “Chinese Civilization” Spring 2025
Abstract: “Those who talk about life must investigate history” is a picture of Zhang Xuecheng’s character of Zhejiang Dong’s academic discipline represented by Huang Zongxi, but its meaning can be used to understand the model transition problem of international Chinese academic disciplines between the Ming and Qing Dynasties. From moral metaphysics to the construction of the historical and civilized universe, Huang Zongxi’s own academic direction was formed. This direction was also a reflection of the transformation of Chinese academic direction in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. What this shifts towards is the creation of “The Confucian Case of Ming Confucianism”, especially the understanding of its meaning. When Huang Zongxi wrote the “Preface to the Confucian Cases of Ming Confucianism”, he had a deep understanding of the limitations of moral metaphysics. He focused on a book and provided a new systematic understanding of the body and kung fu, Tao and man, the learning of life and historical civilization, etc., which was different from the metaphysics of morality. This understanding of the openness of the Taoist body from the internal transcendent consciousness to the vast preservation of reality directed by the creative activities of civilization. While preserving the “dead body” as the “living body”, it also tried to revise the Confucian worldly virtues and the huge format of “communicating with Liuhe people”.
Keywords: “Ming ConfucianismCultivation Contract” Huang Zongxi A book of thousands of special moral and metaphysical learning History and civilization universe
Zhang Xueqing said: “Zhedong’s learning means that life must be studied in history, which is why it is outstanding.”1 The Zhejiangdong learning here represents Huang Zongxi, who inherited the psychology of Wang Yangming and Liu Zongzhou, and then developed the history of Wan Sitong, Wan Si Da, Quan Zukan, Shao Tingcai, Shao Xuhan, Zhang Xueqing, etc. “The learning in Zhejiang Dong is different, although the source and flow are not different. Therefore, those who see it in the world are the achievements of Yangming as a result of the achievements of the mountains as a meaning, Lizhou as a matter of ignorance, and the brothers of the Wan family are the study of the history of their practice. Although the teachings and receiving are from one, the faces are very different, because they have their own affairs and are inconsistent.” 2 What is said to be “each has its own affairs”, that is, to learn from life through the preservation and reality of their own affairs, rather than empty discussion, “There is no one who is good at speaking about the destiny of heaven and man, and there is no one who is not indifferent to human affairs” 3. “History” of “must be investigated in history” is related to human affairs, and there is no so-called meaning outside of human affairs. The words about the destiny of heaven and man come from human affairs, and return to human affairs. This is the historical concept of “seeing actions” rather than “empty words”. 4 It makes the words about the destiny of heaven and man no longer remain in the structure of moral metaphysics, but move towards the destiny of heaven and man, from the merit, meaning, and ignorance.History and other historical civilization universes built by various human and factual practices and civilization creation. Liang Qi Chao emphasized: “The style of Zhejiang East is based on moral principles, which is used to serve merits and works in literature and history. Since Yangming and Lizhou, they have all followed this to evolve.” 5 Money Mu Ye said: “In Zhejiang in the late and late years, the foundation is established from Yangming, the walls are expanded in Lizhou, and the room is formed. Together with three people, we can get the completeness.” 6 The exploration of moral principles is the foundation, and the practice of merits is used, and the differences between moral principles and merits are connected by moral principles (such as “Taoism”, “Psychology” and “Science”) are the symbols Baoqiang.comThe situation is “literary and history”, and the symbols of literature and history have made Zhejiang Dong’s academic disciplines escape the metaphysical vassal of morality. Sincerely, “talking about life must be investigated in history” is a summary of the academic energy of Zhejiang East, but in an objective manner, it can also be regarded as a redirected engraving as the science of the Song and Ming dynasties.
Zhang Xuecheng’s understanding of Zhejiang Dong’s academic practice is based on the determination of the contribution of theory: “The Confucianism of Song Dynasty has been since the Three Dynasties to seek integrity and justice and peace and stability” 7 “The essence of analysis of reason and the enlightenment of walking, the unspoken words of Confucianism in Han and Tang Dynasties” 8 “The trouble today is also too unspeakable to the Song Dynasty.” 9 The Song Dynasty represents the study of the destiny of heaven and man as a classic, and its basic feature is to explore the harmony between the way of heaven and life. Zhang Xuecheng said, “In the past, Shi wrote a book and claimed that “Year” has been passed down through the world. He actually learned the study of the heavenly and man and fate of the Dong family, and his origin is profound.”10. The most basic energy of history lies in the study of the heavenly and man and the understanding of the world. “If life is said to be investigated in history”, it does not refer to the transformation of the academic type from the learning of heaven and man to the learning of history, but to the learning of new life that is directed by the world; “history” is not another kind of learning that lies in the learning of life, but to the historical dimension of the learning of life, which combines the world and life into one. Zhejiang East academic practice broke through the mental and moral metaphysical theory that complained beyond the sexual experience of the body, and turned to the human world based on gasification. The exploration of life was laid on the basis of historical consciousness, and thus the transformation of Song and Ming cognition. This transformation could just solve the problem of long-term difficulties in the academic world, namely the model transformation problem of Song and Ming cognition to Qing dynasty. If the discussion of the ingenious chapter is regarded as the coordinated orientation of the Ming and Qing dynasties (after the Ming Dynasty, the mainstream form was the so-called mental science), then “talking about life must be investigated in history” can understand the transformation from morality to historical civilization consciousness from Confucianism. 11 The focus of this transformation is Huang Zongxi.
1 From morality to the historical civilization universe: Rethinking the meaning of “The Case of Ming Confucianism”
Why does it mean that life must be investigated in history? This problem can be specifically transformed into the following problem in Huang Zongxi. Why did Huang Zongxi, as a student of Liu Zongzhou, a military officer of the Xinxue Palace, not work hard on a moral metaphysical structure with its own characteristics, and then translate to the compilation of the “Ming Confucian Case” that presents the Ming Dynasty.What is the advanced text of different metaphysics and even different academic forms of different? As an ordinary person in the Ming Dynasty who lived in the Qing Dynasty, what does Huang Zongxi’s writing “The Case of Ming Confucianism” mean? 12 From the perspective of the “study case” subject, this article clearly does not answer this question from the perspective of answering it.
This can provide a perspective to get to the problem. After the death of Yuan Dynasty, Wei Su wanted to kill himself. The monk said, “The history of the country is not a public servant. The death of the emperor is the history of the country.” Wei Su did not die, and the history of the country was written after the death of the country was written 13 years later. Wang Si participated in the compilation of the history of the Ming Dynasty as a civilian, and was not paid for the salary or the official position. “Pay attention to the thirty years of national history” and the people said that “Yushan is still there, but the history of the country has not passed away.” He compiled the “Collected Poems of the Dynasties” in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, intending to imitate Yuan and ask “Zhongzhou Collection” to preserve history… Huang Zongxi once encouraged Wan Si to participate in the Ming Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty with the matter of Wei Su and monks. Historical editing mission 14; he criticized the student Wan Sitong and his son Huang Baijia to participate in and compile history, and praised his f TC:sugarpopular900