WANG FUZHI
(1619–1692)

Wang Fuzhi was a Chinese philosopher in the late neo-Confucian School. After his initial attempt to resist the Manchu invasion of China had failed, he devoted the rest of his life to the reinterpretation of Chinese philosophical classics and the development of his own philosophical view. The last seventeen years of his life were spent as a hermit at the foot of a barren mountain which he named "the boat mountain" (chuanshan ); hence his well-known alias: Wang Chuanshan. His copious works were first published posthumously by his son. Most notable among his works are: Du Sishu Daquan Shuo (Discourse on reading the great collection of commentaries on the four books), Zhouyi Waizhuan (External commentary on the book of changes), Zhouyi Neizhuan (Internal commentary on the book of changes), Du Tongjian Lun (A treatise on reading Tongjian), and Zhuangzi Zhengmeng Zhu (Commentary on Zhang Zai's zhengmeng).

Wang Fuzhi's metaphysics places the cosmic principle (li ) in the midst of cosmic energy (force; qi ), thereby denying any transcendent status of the cosmic principle. The universe is constituted by qi, which develops in accordance with a certain order. According to Wang Fuzhi, this order does not exist prior to the development of qi ; it is simply "the way things are" as well as "the way things ought to be" for cosmic energy. Qi is self-regulating in virtue of this internal cosmic principle; therefore, qi is not a blind force. Wang Fuzhi not only acknowledges the orderliness of qi, but also recognizes the all-encompassing nature of qi. The universe is filled with qi from time immemorial; cosmic states are simply the different developmental stages of qi. When qi condenses, it composes myriad things; when material objects disintegrate, everything returns to the rarified form of qi. In this respect, his metaphysics follows directly from that of Zhang Zai.

In addition to advocating the unity between principle and qi, Wang Fuzhi also espouses the unity between Dao and concrete things (qi —a different word from the cosmic energy qi ). Dao is the way particular things are and the way they ought to be. According to Wang Fuzhi, Dao does not have any a priori status; it does not exist independently of concrete things. In other words, Dao is postdevelopmental in the production of concrete things, just as cosmic principle (li ) is postdevelopmental in the activities of qi. To Wang Fuzhi, only the concrete cosmic energy (qi ), and the concrete objects composed of qi, are real. His metaphysics has often been interpreted as a form of materialism and realism.

Because qi constantly evolves and transforms itself, the universe perpetually generates and renews itself. When applied to the human world, this cosmology entails that human history is not predetermined. Wang Fuzhi's philosophy of history is modernistic in spirit, for he holds that the modern is more advanced than the ancient; ancient laws and morals do not necessarily apply to the contemporary world. To find the best way to govern, people need to deal with the present context and understand the present societal needs. A good ruler is one who understands and aims to meet his or her people's wants and desires. Following Mencius, Wang Fuzhi argues that people's common desire is nothing but the satisfaction of their basic needs in life. These desires are natural to human beings; they are thus not morally blameworthy.

Wang Fuzhi rejects Buddhists' renouncement of human desires; he also criticizes the Cheng-Zhu School's doctrine that one needs to extinguish human desires in order to exemplify the Heavenly principle. He advocates the unity of the Heavenly principle and human desires: the principle of heaven lies in nothing but what the people desire in common. An ideal state of the world is reached when all people can have their basic desires satisfied. To Wang Fuzhi, human history is simply a reflection of human nature; human politics is solely determined by what the people want in common. This view reaffirms the Confucian humanism underlined in classic Confucianism.

See also Chinese Philosophy: Confucianism.

Bibliography

major works by wang fuzhi

Zhouyi waizhuan (External commentary on the book of changes), 1655.

Laozi yan (Extended interpretation on Laozi), 1655.

Shangshu yinyi (The extended meaning of the book of history), 1663.

Du Sishu daquan shuo (Discourse on reading the great collection of commentaries on the four books), 1665.

Chunqiu shilun (A general treatise on Chun Qiu), 1668.

Liji zhangju (A textual annotation on the book of rites), 1673–1677.

Zhouyi daxiang jie (Interpretation on the images of the book of changes), 1676.

Siwen lu (Record of thoughts and questions), post 1677.

Zhangzi Zhengmeng zhu (Commentary on Zhang Zai's zhengmeng), post 1677.

Sishu xunyi (A contemporary interpretation of the meaning of the four books), 1679.

Zhuangzi jie (Interpretation on Zhuangzi), 1681.

Zhouyi neizhuan (Internal commentary on the book of changes), 1685.

Du Tongjian lun (A treatise on reading Tongjian), 1687–1691.

Song lun (A treatise on the Song dynasty), 1691.

works on wang fuzhi

Black, Alison Harley. Man and Nature in the Philosophical Thought of Wang Fu-Chih. Publications on Asia of the Henry M. Jackson School of International studies, No 41. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. 1989.

Hou, Wai-lu, and Chi-chih Chang. "Philosophical thought of Wang Fu-chih." Chinese Studies in History and Philosophy 1 (Spring 1968): 12–28

Liu, JeeLoo. "Is Human History Predestined in Wang Fuzhi's Cosmology?" Journal of Chinese Philosophy 28(3), 2001, 321–337.

Liu, JeeLoo. "Wang Fuzhi." In The Encyclopedia of Chinese Philosophy, edited by Antonio S. Cua. New York: Routledge, 2003, 748–755.

McMorran, Ian. "Late Ming Criticism of Wang Yang-Ming: The Case Of Wang Fu-Chih." Philosophy East & West 23, 1973, 91–102.

McMorran, Ian. The Passionate Realist: An Introduction to the Life and Political Thought of Wang Fuzhi, (1619–1692). Hong Kong: Sunshine, 1992.

Teng, S.Y. "Wang Fu-chih's Views on History and Historical Writing." Journal of Asian Studies 28, 111–123.

Wright, Kathleen. "The Fusion of Horizons: Hans-Georg Gadamer and Wang Fu-Chih." Continental Philosophy Review 33 (3), 2000: 345–358.

Zhang, Jiemo. "On the Aesthetic Significance of Wang Fuzhi's Theory of the Unity of Poetry and Music, with Criticisms of Certain Biases." Chinese Studies in Philosophy 21(3), Spring 1990, 26–53.

Jeeloo Liu (2005)