Zhu Xi

Zhu Xi (1130–1200) was a Song dynasty Confucian scholar who systematized classical teachings into a philosophical program centered on principle, self-cultivation, and learning.

Li (principle): In Chinese philosophy, li is the organizing pattern or principle underlying things and moral relations. Zhu Xi made li the universal pattern that learning and investigation disclose.
Great Learning: The Great Learning is a Confucian classic outlining a progression from self-cultivation to ordering family and state. Zhu Xi’s influential interpretation made its sequence a practical program of moral learning.
Cheng Hao: Cheng Hao (1032–1085) was a Song Confucian thinker who developed ideas about principle, humaneness, and moral cultivation. His account of principle and humaneness helped shape the intellectual tradition Zhu Xi inherited.
Neo-Confucianism: Neo-Confucianism is a family of Song- and Ming-era Confucian philosophies that reworked classical teachings in conversation with Buddhism and Daoism. Zhu Xi’s synthesis became its most influential and enduring school.
Huang Gan: Huang Gan (1152–1221) was a Confucian scholar and disciple of Zhu Xi who helped transmit his teachings. He recorded and defended Zhu Xi’s thought soon after his teacher’s death.
Qi (Chinese philosophy): Qi is the material force or vital stuff through which things take shape and change in Chinese thought. Zhu Xi paired li with qi to explain how patterns become embodied in particular things.
Doctrine of the Mean: The Doctrine of the Mean is a Confucian classic on equilibrium, moral nature, and appropriate conduct. Zhu Xi treated it as a key account of how moral principle is realized in human life.
Cheng Yi: Cheng Yi (1033–1107) was a Song Confucian philosopher whose teachings emphasized principle, moral discipline, and textual study. Zhu Xi adopted and systematized Cheng Yi’s rigorous approach to learning and moral practice.
Imperial examination: The imperial examination was a system of competitive examinations used to select officials in China and other East Asian states. The state’s adoption of Zhu Xi’s interpretations made his texts central to examination preparation.
Chen Chun: Chen Chun (1159–1223) was a Confucian scholar known for explaining Zhu Xi’s philosophical terminology. His concise account made central concepts in Zhu Xi’s system more accessible.

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