Abstract
Zhu Xi’s 朱熹 conceptions of li 理 and qi 氣 have been long regarded by the field as the core of his metaphysical discourse. It has also been claimed that for Zhu Xi, this li–qi system is part of a broader dialectic of oppositions—including pairs of concepts such as substance (ti 體) and functions (yong 用); and root (ben 本) and branches (mo 末). In this system of oppositions, li is prioritized. Due to this, Zhu Xi’s philosophy has stirred critics to regard him as a dualist (Feng 1938; Chan 1963). Zhu Xi tends to understand life, action, and thought through polarities, in particular through li and qi. More recently, this agreement has been questioned, most commonly through understanding Zhu’s philosophy as philosophy of process (Cheng 1991; Berthrong 1998, 2005; Baba 2015), and/or suggesting li–qi as a logical and linguistic axis for metaphysics (Zhang 2015; Thompson 2015). It is my wish to follow this latter line of thought. I claim that when focusing on the various roles and relatedness of li and qi, rather than looking for their importance and asking which is prior, one realizes that Zhu Xi cannot be regarded as a dualist. Moreover, I suggest that when the so-called “li–qi metaphysics” is presented along this line, a “sense of metaphysics” is revealed that embraces much more than metaphysics—and in this way, reaffirms and renews Confucian praxis in time-honored philosophical terminology and method.
Special thanks for Prof. Yong Huang, Dr. Kai-chiu Ng, and two anonymous readers for their thorough reading and insightful comments, including a suggestion for the chapter’s title. Work toward this research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (grant no. 395/12).
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Notes
- 1.
For more recent echoes of this attitude, it suffices to simply take a look, in Antonio S. Cua’s Encyclopedia of Chinese Philosophy, at the entry on Zhu Xi (Chu Hsi) written by Liu Shu-hsien. The section on li and qi (subtitled: The Metaphysics of Li and Qi) presupposes that any discussion on the ideas in Zhu’s philosophy can be framed within the context of metaphysics. Liu states that “Zhu Xi developed a dualistic metaphysics of li and qi” and yet his “thought may be characterized as a combination of constitutional dualism and functional monism.” He then explains that “Zhu’s dualism should not be understood as either Platonic or Cartesian because li and qi are inseparable.” See, Liu S. (2003: 368, 369, 898). See also Liu S. (1998) and Liu J. (2005). Truly, even in this volume, the li–qi discussion opens the section on Zhu’s metaphysics.
- 2.
- 3.
For example, see Kim (2015: 5).
- 4.
Compare with the Humean idea of power as expressed in Treatise of Human Nature in the observation that “the terms of efficacy, agency, power, force, energy, necessity, connexion, and productive quality, are all nearly synonymous” (Hume 1978: 157).
- 5.
“Thoughts without intuitions are empty, intuitions without concepts are blind.” See Kant (1929: A51/B76).
- 6.
Internal realism is a term coined by Hilary Putnam. This involves rejecting the “God’s Eye Point of View” which Putnam thought is characteristic of metaphysical realism. For Putnam, internal realism always involves a commitment to the idea that truth is (somehow) epistemically constrained. See Putnam (1977: 483–98).
- 7.
For Zhu Xi’s philosophy of process, see Berthrong (2005: 257–78).
- 8.
Following Adler’s distinction. See Adler (2014: 79).
- 9.
Literally, the expression Taiji signifies an end beyond all ends, an extreme of all extremes, or more than the most, it can be interesting to understand its qualities in terms of arithmetical infinity, which refers to a “quantity” without bound or end; which in some senses is pretty much like zero, and in fact represents the other aspect of zero: it can be both positive and negative; it is a quantity that does not measure; it is the perfect balance. Taiji was translated by Chan and others “Great Ultimate” (see Chan 1963: 463–65), by Adler “Supreme Polarity” (see Adler 2014: 111–36).
- 10.
For more on the importance of the interpenetration of movement and tranquility in Zhu Xi’s philosophy, see Adler (2014: 100–106).
- 11.
- 12.
As Zhang Liwen opines, as the primary concept in Zhu Xi’s philosophy is li, in different contexts it is expressed as dao, taiji, tian li 天理 (natural and social patterning and norms), and even xing 性 (tendencies, dispositions, or nature). See Zhang (2015: 15–20).
- 13.
- 14.
For more on the important relation to dao, see Zhang (2015: 36–44).
- 15.
- 16.
Among the virtues, trust is missing, and among the phases, earth is missing.
- 17.
For a comprehensive discussion of the is–ought relationship in Zhu’s holistic philosophy, and how it refers back to li, see Meng (2015: 273–97).
- 18.
See more in Lin and Zhou (1995).
- 19.
See “Metaphysics,” written by van Inwagen and Sullivan (First published in 2007; revised in 2014) in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/metaphysics/)
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Patt-Shamir, G. (2020). Li and Qi as Supra-Metaphysics. In: Ng, Kc., Huang, Y. (eds) Dao Companion to ZHUXi’s Philosophy. Dao Companions to Chinese Philosophy, vol 13. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29175-4_12
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