The Formation Mechanism of Qi Theory in the Ming Dynasty and its Qi-related Interpretation in Zhang Zai's Philosophy
How did Qi theory emerge in the Ming Dynasty,and what were the mechanisms behind its formation?It should be noted that the increasing intensification of ideological autocracy in the Ming Dynasty not only led Cao Duan to"unearth ancient precedents from classical texts,"but also inevitably directed the exploration of Neo-Confucianism towards the"principle of creation,"thereby creating the trend and potential for the rise of Qi theo-ry.Luo Qinshun's reversal of Zhu Xi's relationship between Li(principle)and Qi marked a pivotal shift from Neo-Confucianism to Qi theory.As for Wang Tingxiang,his staunch opposition to Buddhism led him to embrace the"theory of primordial Qi,"and by the time of Wu Tinghan,the arguments had entirely shifted to a Qi-based perspective.However,this formation of Qi theory in the Ming Dynasty also led to a"constrained"interpretation of earlier thoughts.For example,the classification of Qi theory in Zhang Zai's philosophy can be traced back to Zhu Xi's comprehensive inheritance and selective distribution of the thoughts of the Four Masters of the Northern Song Dynasty.While the Qi theory in the Ming Dynasty relied on Zhang Zai's idea that"the void and Qi are con-comitant"to challenge Zhu Xi's assertion that"Li precedes Qi,"it ultimately adopted the Qi-related elements of Zhang Zai's philosophy.Although Zhang Zai did not reject the primacy of objective existence upheld by Qi theory,Neo-Confucianism and the School of Mind,sharing the same stance,were still categorized as idealistic schools.In reality,the main value of the thoughts of Zhang Zai,Cheng-Zhu,and Lu-Wang lies not in the at-tribute definitions of their core concepts,but in their distinctive approaches to learning.
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