Reconstructing the Confucian Dao
Zhu Xi's Appropriation of Zhou Dunyi
Description:... Discusses how Zhou Dunyis thought became a cornerstone of neo-Confucianism.
Zhu Xi, the twelfth-century architect of the neo-Confucian canon, declared Zhou Dunyi to be the first true sage since Mencius. This was controversial, as many of Zhu Xis contemporaries were critical of Zhou Dunyis Daoist leanings, and other figures had clearly been more significant to the Song dynasty Confucian resurgence. Why was Zhou Dunyi accorded such importance? Joseph A. Adler finds that the earlier thinker provided an underpinning for Zhu Xis religious practice. Zhou Dunyis theory of the interpenetration of activity and stillness allowed Zhu Xi to proclaim that his own theory of mental and spiritual cultivation mirrored the fundamental principle immanent in the natural world. This book revives Zhu Xi as a religious thinker, challenging longstanding characterizations of him. Readers will appreciate the inclusion of complete translations of Zhou Dunyis major texts, Zhu Xis published commentaries, and other primary source material.
Show description