On Wang Yangming’s Theory of “Liangzhi as Rational Entity”

Abstract: The teachings of Wang Yangming emphasizes the subjective principle of liangzhi (“良知”, moral knowledge) by propositions such as liangzhizizhi (“良知自知”, self-awareness of liangzhi ), liangzhizijue (“良知自觉”, self-enlightenment of liangzhi ) and juejiqubi (“觉即弊去”, liangzhi is to correct mistakes). However, if the subjective internality of the human heart is too emphasized, it may lead to the theoretical consequences of the liangzhi overcoming the external ethical norms, and the late Ming scholars accuse the post-Yangming school of the evils of abandoning moral principle. However, Wang Yangming has noticed this problem when he was alive, so he tried to promote the liangzhi into a universal and objective transcendental entity through propositions such as “liangzhi is tianli (“天理”, heavenly coherence) ” and “tianli is liangzhi ”; It means the dual transformation of the liangzhi and tianli. Thus, the liangzhi does not fall into the emotional consciousness of one’s own private, but also possesses the character of the objective real rational entity.