Chinese Metaphysics; Buddhist metaphysics; Neo-Confucianism; Polarization; Principle; Religion; Chou, T.; Chu Hsi; Huang, Siu-chi
摘要
This paper shows how the notion "T'ai-Chi" serves the double purpose of the Sung philosophers：on the one hand，to challenge the prevailing Buddhist metaphysics which, according to them，is nihilistic and is therefore severely attacked by them; on the other hand，to provide a rational justification of their own metaphysics which has been referred to as a renaissance of Chinese philosophy. The four characteristics are：the "T'ai-Chi" is (1) the first，necessary cause of the universe，(2) immanent and inherent in everything，(3) supreme in goodness and sincerity，and (4) forever in a continuous process in terms of motion and rest--characteristics which are reminiscent of the ontological，cosmological and teleological arguments for the existence of an ultimate reality in the philosophical tradition of the west.
