Concept
Li (neo-Confucianism)
Overview
Li (Chinese: 理; pinyin: lǐ) is a concept found in neo-Confucian Chinese philosophy. It refers to the underlying reason and order of nature as reflected in its organic forms.
It may be translated as "rational principle", "law", or "organisational rights". It was central to Zhu Xi's integration of Buddhism into Confucianism. Zhu Xi held that li, together with qi (氣: vital, material force), depend on each other to create structures of nature and matter. The sum of li is the Taiji.
This idea resembles the Buddhist notion of li, which also means "principle or ritual". Zhu Xi maintained, however, that his notion is found in the I Ching (Book of Changes), a classic source of Chinese philosophy.
Zhu Xi's school came to be known as the School of Li, which is comparable to rationalism. To an even greater extent than Confucius, Zhu Xi had a naturalistic world-view. His world-view contained two primary ideas: qi and li. Zhu Xi further believed that the conduct of the two of these took place according to the organisational principles of Yin and Yang.
Holding to Confucius and Mencius' conception of humanity as innately good, Zhu Xi articulated an understanding of li as the basic pattern of the universe, stating that it was understood that one could not live without li and live an exemplary life. Wang Yangming, a philosopher who opposed Zhu Xi's ideas, held that li was to be found not in the world but within oneself. Wang Yangming was thus more of an idealist with a different epistemic approach. However, in the practice of traditional Chinese medicine, the endogenous and exogenous interpretations of these two philosophical ideas are not seen as mutually exclusive but are viewed, to create and control each other.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
In the original texts
Passages from public-domain books where Li (neo-Confucianism) is discussed.
Beginning at the Ister then I am about to describe the coast land of the true Scythia, with regard to measurement. At once from the Ister begins this original land of Scythia, and it lies towards the midday and the South Wind, extending as far as the city called Carkinitis. After this the part which lies on the coast of the same sea still, a country which is mountainous and runs out in the direction of the Pontus…
Herodotus, The History of Herodotus — Volume 1
names the idea; states what it is; opens on it
But if “every man,” as it has been written, “holds confined within him a _mad_-man,” what must every Society do;—Society, which in its commonest state is called “the standing miracle of this world”! “Without such Earth-rind of Habit,” continues our author, “call it System of Habits, in a word, _fixed ways_ of acting and of believing,—Society would not exist at all. With such it exists, better or worse.
Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution
names the idea; states what it is
"Life, must inspire confidence"; the task which this imposes upon us is enormous. In order to solve, this problem man must already be a liar in his heart, but he must above all else be an artist. And he is that. Metaphysics, religion, morality, science, all these things are but the offshoot of his will to art, to falsehood, to a flight from "truth," to a denial of "truth." This ability, this artistic capacity _par…
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, The Will to Power
names the idea; opens on it
II. Virtue, according to Aristotle (Ethic. Nic. 1. 2. c. 5. et seq. et 1. 3. {241} c. 4. et seq.), consists in the habit of mediocrity according to right reason. Every particular virtue, according to him, lies in a kind of middle between two opposite vices, of which the one offends from being too much, the other from being too little affected by a particular species of objects. Thus the virtue of fortitude or…
Adam Smith, The Essays of Adam Smith
names the idea
The first of these is formed from that portion of the layer which lies in contact with surrounding agents; and the second of them is formed from that portion of the layer which lies in contact with the contained mass of yelk. That is to say, after the primary differentiation, more or less extensive, of surface from centre, the resulting superficial portion undergoes a secondary differentiation into inner and outer…
Herbert Spencer, First Principles
states what it is; names the idea
Philosophers who discussed Li (neo-Confucianism)
Related ideas
- Yin and yang
- Idealism
- Chinese Buddhism
- Zhu Xi
- Qi
- I Ching
- Huangdi Neijing
- Tao
- Taiji (philosophy)
- Neo-Confucianism
- Buddhists
- Chinese language
- Chinese philosophy
- Traditional Chinese medicine
- Wang Yangming
- Rationalism
- Epistemology
Place in the tradition
Part of Chinese philosophy.