In research on Li Zhi 李贄’s iconoclastic remarks and his impact on the late Ming period, there remain complicated issues tied to tracing back the origins of his thought, which came from several different sources, and categorizing more clearly his position as a systematic philosopher. This article analyzes the formation of Li Zhi’s philosophical system and describes its basic nature. At the same time, it also discusses in detail the connection between Li Zhi’s thought and that of Mahayana Buddhism in an effort to both clarify certain ambiguities and fill in gaps in scholarly research.
