earticle

영어

The essay is focused upon the concept of Supreme Ultimate and its categorical understanding. Through its categorical understanding, we can grasp the thinking way of Neo-Confucianism, which gives a clue to a kind of methodological turn from the cosmological view of universe to the ontological doctrine of substance.
In the traditional context of Confucius' and Mencius' Dao, Neo-Confucianists establish the concepts of 'principle', 'mind' and 'vital force,' which come from the logical law of understanding the original substance of 'Supreme Ultimate.' They explain the origin and realization of moral quality through the meaning and significance of the original substance of 'Supreme Ultimate' revealed in the human nature. An organic structure of Supreme Ultimate and its unfolding way is extended into the doctrine of the original substance of 'principle', 'mind' and 'vital force.' According to the Neo-Confucian school of Li-xue, the 'principle' is escalated to the moral standard and law of human nature. According to the Neo-Confucian school of Xin-xue, the 'mind' is escalated to the moral standard and law of human nature. According to the Neo-Confucian school of Qi-xue, the 'vital force' is escalated to the moral standard and law of human nature. They all establish the ground of human existence, namely, its essence, status and value from the perspective of the higher conception of universal substance. Therefore, they enhance the originality of Confucian value to the most ultimate level of universal substance, and thus provide a certain metaphysical basis for the morality of Neo-Confucianism.