School of Principle

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The School of Principle is a major current within Neo-Confucianism that emphasizes the primacy of universal rational principles (li) as the foundation of reality, morality, and human nature.

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Statements (42)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Confucian intellectual current
Neo-Confucian philosophical school
aimsAt harmonizing metaphysics, ethics, and self-cultivation
associatedWithConcept gewu
investigation of things
contrastsWith School of Mind NERFINISHED
coreConcept li
cosmologicalView universe is ordered by rational principles
culturalSphere East Asia NERFINISHED
emphasizes primacy of universal rational principles
epistemologicalClaim principles are knowable through disciplined inquiry
ethicalFocus moral cultivation grounded in universal principles
self-cultivation through understanding li
hasAlternativeName Li xue
Lixue NERFINISHED
School of Li NERFINISHED
historicalContext Song dynasty Neo-Confucian revival
influenced Japanese Neo-Confucianism NERFINISHED
Korean Neo-Confucianism NERFINISHED
Vietnamese Confucian thought
influencedBy Buddhist metaphysics
Daoist cosmology
Mencian doctrine of good human nature
classical Confucianism
metaphysicalClaim all phenomena embody li
li precedes material force (qi) in ontological priority
methodOfCultivation reflection on patterns in things and affairs
study of classics to apprehend li
moralPsychologyView moral failure arises from obscuration of li by qi
normativeClaim social order should reflect universal principles
philosophicalTradition Neo-Confucianism NERFINISHED
region China NERFINISHED
religiousTradition Confucianism NERFINISHED
teaches universal principles (li) are the foundation of human nature
universal principles (li) are the foundation of morality
universal principles (li) are the foundation of reality
teleologicalView human fulfillment lies in fully realizing li in conduct
viewOnHumanNature human nature is originally good because it is grounded in li
viewOnKnowledge true knowledge is grasp of universal principles
viewOnMorality moral norms derive from objective rational principles
viewsLiAs metaphysical ground of all things
objective and universal order

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Neo-Confucianism hasSubSchool School of Principle