Neo-Confucianism (Chinese:宋明理學; pinyin:Sòng-Míng lǐxué, often shortened to lixue 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysicalChinese philosophy influenced by Confucianism, and originated with Han Yu and Li Ao (772–841) in the Tang Dynasty, and became prominent during the Song and Ming dynasties under the formulations of Zhu Xi. After the Mongol conquest of China in the thirteenth century, Chinese scholars and officials restored and preserved neo-Confucianism as a way to safeguard the cultural heritage of China.[1]
Philosophical school of Confucianism mainly influenced by Zhu Xi
This article is about a movement developed during the Song and Ming dynasties. For a movement that emerged in the 20th century, see New Confucianism.
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (August 2012)
Neo-Confucianism could have been an attempt to create a more rationalist and secular form of Confucianism by rejecting superstitious and mystical elements of Taoism and Buddhism that had influenced Confucianism during and after the Han Dynasty.[2] Although the neo-Confucianists were critical of Taoism and Buddhism, the two did have an influence on the philosophy, and the neo-Confucianists borrowed terms and concepts. However, unlike the Buddhists and Taoists, who saw metaphysics as a catalyst for spiritual development, religious enlightenment, and immortality, the neo-Confucianists used metaphysics as a guide for developing a rationalist ethical philosophy.[3][4]
Share this article:
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Neo-Confucianism, and is written by contributors.
Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
