The meaning of "investigating things to achieve knowledge":
"To investigate things to achieve knowledge" is an important concept in ancient Chinese Confucianism. It is a Confucian discipline that specializes in the study of physics. It has been lost. It originated from "Book of Rites?" The "Eight Eyes of the Great Learning" - investigating things, seeking knowledge, sincerity, upright mind, self-cultivation, regulating the family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world - discussed: "Those who want to be sincere in their intentions must first gain knowledge; achieving knowledge lies in investigating things." After observing the object, you will know it, and after you know it, you will be sincere? This paragraph. However, this is the only paragraph in "The Great Learning" that mentions the phrase "investigating things to achieve knowledge", but there is no subsequent explanation. There is also no pre-Qin ancient book that has used the terms "investigating things" and "achieving knowledge" for reference. Therefore, the true meaning of "investigating things to achieve knowledge" has become a difficult mystery in Confucian thought. The sixth edition of "Modern Chinese Dictionary" released in 2012 explains "investigating things to achieve knowledge" as: "studying the principles and laws of things and summarizing them into rational knowledge." ?
English explanation
[Dialectics] to obtain knowledge by investigation of things;
Explanation: grid: to speculate; to: seek. Study the principles of things to gain knowledge.
From: "Book of Rites? University": "The way to know is to examine things, and then to know." ?
Example: The Westerners regard ~ as the foundation of learning. This is not the case in China. How can it be so based on the wisdom of the people?
◎Yan Fu's "Yuan Qiang"
Grammar: linking form; used as a predicate; refers to the acquisition of knowledge by studying the principles of things
Zheng Xuan of the Eastern Han Dynasty was the first to make an annotation for "Investigating Things to Know", and since the Song Dynasty Confucianism changed "The Great Learning" from "The Great Learning" After the "Book of Rites" became independent and became a part of the "Four Books", the significance of "investigating things to achieve knowledge" gradually became a hot topic of debate among later generations of Confucian scholars, and even today. The popular interpretation in society about "investigating things to achieve knowledge" is based on part of the views of Zhu Xi's theory in the Southern Song Dynasty. It is believed that "investigating things to achieve knowledge" means to study things and obtain knowledge and principles.
The explanation of the six hundred and thirty-seven volumes of Tang Dynasty is as follows:
Said: ? Dare to ask? Knowledge lies in the investigation of things? What is it?
Said: ? Things It refers to all things, and grid refers to the coming and coming. When things arrive, one's mind clearly distinguishes them, and does not respond to the things. This is the realization of knowledge and the perfection of knowledge. Knowing the best means being sincere, and being sincere means the mind is right. The mind is right, so the body is cultivated. If the body is cultivated, the family will be in order. If the family is in order, the country will be in order. If the state is in order, the world will be peaceful. This is why he can reach heaven and earth. ?
Calligraphy Works to Study the Things to Know
English translation: to study the phenomena of nature in order to acquire knowledge; to study the nature of things
Seeking truth from facts
"Seeking truth from facts" includes the spirit of "seeking truth from facts", but its connotation is far richer than "seeking truth from facts". The difference between today's popular views and Zhu Xi's views lies in the explanation of "Zhizhi". Zhu Xi's so-called "zhi" refers to intelligence - including wisdom and knowledge - while the modern popular view of "zhi" only refers to knowledge. This change in concept may be due to the influence of the popular materialist views in today's society.
Pseudo-science
Although Zhu Xi was a great Confucian in the history of Confucianism, the reason why his views on "investigating things to achieve knowledge" became mainstream in later generations was not because of the influence of later Confucian scholars. general approval. In fact, Zhu Xi's teachings were denounced as "pseudo-study" due to political party disputes in the Southern Song Dynasty, and many Confucian scholars in later generations also vigorously criticized Zhu Xi's theoretical views on "investigating things to achieve knowledge." However, because Zhu Xi's "Collected Commentary on the Four Books" was officially adopted as the criterion for selecting scholars in the middle of the Yuan Dynasty, and since Ming Taizu began to respect Zhu Xi's theory as the only official ideological authority in the "Four Books", Zhu Xi's theory has become even more important in the Ming Dynasty. The official dogmatic views on imperial examinations lasted for more than 500 years during the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, Zhu Xi's views on "investigating things to achieve knowledge" became a generally popular view in later generations under the authority of official dogma for hundreds of years. Therefore, in the Westernization School in the late Qing Dynasty, subjects such as physics and chemistry were called "Ge Zhi", which is the abbreviation of "Ge Zhi Zhi".