Zhu Xi’s Theory of Self-Cultivation of Probing Principle (Revised Edition)

Confucian philosophy, centered on self-transformation and the pursuit of a good life, has a strong emphasis on the discourse of self-cultivation (gongfulun 工夫論). This interest reaches its peak with the establishment of Neo-Confucianism during the Song dynasty.

This book examines the gongfulun of Zhu Xi 朱熹 (1130-1200), an iconic Neo-Confucian philosopher. We describe his theory as the gongfulun of qiongli 窮理 (loosely translated as “probing principle” in the title of this book) and evaluate its justifiability through three perspectives. First, is it reasonable for Zhu to reject his opponent’s theory, to which he was once sympathetic, in favor of his own? Second, can his doctrine withstand the philosophical challenge that the practice of qiongli may lack the power to motivate moral action and thus be ineffective for achieving the goal of Confucian cultivation? Third, can we draw inspiration from Zhu’s gongfulun to understand the modern cultural world and guide its future development?

With over forty thousand words of new content, this revised edition brings significant clarifications, supplements, and further discussions. We aim not only to provide readers with a comprehensive analysis of Zhu Xi’s theory of self-cultivation but also to elevate the study of Zhu Xi’s and Neo-Confucian philosophy to new heights.