AbstractThis study presents a critical investigation on the biographical sources of the Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhou Dunyi (1017–1073), recognized as a pioneer of the tradition of Learning of the Way (
Zhang Zai was a seminal neo-Confucian cosmologist and ethical thinker. Like Zhou Dunyi and Shao Yong, he was inspired by the Yijing (Book of Changes) and its commentaries; unlike them, he worked out a conception based solely on the concept of qi (cosmic vapour). He espoused an ethical vision, global in spirit, that greatly enhanced the moral significance of Confucianism.
Zhou Dunyi was the father of Chinese neo-Confucianism. His oracular presentation of the notions of supreme polarity (taiji), yin and yang, and the five phases to explain the formation of the cosmos and sagehood became enshrined by Zhu Xi as the authoritative neo-Confucian view.
The Formation of Zhou Dunyi’s Role in the Daoxue: A Critical Analysis of Biographical Sources
