Today, why do the Japanese still admire Wang Yangming so much?

Wang Yangming, whose real name is Wang Shouren, was a famous thinker, philosopher, calligrapher, strategist and educator in Ming Dynasty. The "Yangming Mind Theory" he founded has a far-reaching influence on later generations. The direct source of Wang Shouren's theory and Wang Xue's thought (Yangming's theory of mind) is Chen Xianzhang's and Zhan Ruoshui's "Chen Zhan's theory of mind". His academic thoughts spread to China, Japan, Korean Peninsula and Southeast Asia, and his achievements are unparalleled in the next generation.

The Japanese adopted Wang Yangming's principle of "unity of knowledge and action" and merged the eastern and western cultures, which led to the Meiji Restoration and ushered in a new era. It can be said that Wang Yangming's principle of "unity of knowledge and action" is an important factor for the success of Meiji Restoration in Japan. The Japanese analyzed the "unity of knowledge and action" and wrote a book "Japanese and Yangming Studies".

Why do the Japanese admire Wang Yangming so much? I think the first reason is that Wang Yangming's theory of Yangming's mind has brought great influence to the Japanese and great success to the Meiji Restoration. This reform has made Japan the first country in Asia to embark on the road of industrialization and gradually become one of the world powers. This is the beginning of Japan's modernization and an important turning point in Japan's modern history.

Wang Yangming put forward the philosophical thought of "nothing outside the heart, nothing outside the heart and unreasonable outside the heart", in which the light of human liberation and freedom of thought is indelible. Today, many people have benefited a lot from it. Therefore, not only the Japanese, but also many people have a lofty evaluation of Wang Yangming's "Yangming Mind". It can be said that Wang Yangming's influence on later generations is far-reaching.

Therefore, until today, the Japanese still highly admire Wang Yangming's thought.