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.