Reality Rather Than Nothingness:The Reality-advocating Characteristic of Cheng Yaotian's Academic Thought
During the Qing Dynasty,Cheng Yaotian,a scholar of Huizhou,demonstrated a reality-advocating academic style of"based on reality,not focusing on nothingness".In terms of moral practice,Cheng Yaotian differs from Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism scholars in that he believes that practicing the"Five Ethics"is the commitment to funda-mentals,while"reaching the heavens with knowledge"is the result of the commitment to fundamentals,thus revers-ing the traditional philosophical view of the essence and the end,and he fiercely criticizes the nihility of Sakyamuni and the empty and sparse academic style of later Yangming Neo-Confucianism.At the same time,he advocates for the integration of both dynamic and static ends with"prudence",and emphasizes the importance of etiquette and the way of harmony between people.In terms of philosophical principles,Cheng Yaotian advocates that"nature"and"heaven-ly way"are both derived from the popularity of"qi".His view on the heavenly way,which is"nothing but qi,that is,nothing but Dao",and his theory of human nature,which is not related to"the nature of temperament",reflect the academic characteristics of advocating reality and have a direct impact on Jiao Xun,Ling Tingkan,and others.