TERMBASES
The term represents a world outlook and a way of thinking which hold that heaven and earth and man are interconnected. This world outlook emphasizes the integration and inherent relationship between heaven, earth, and man. It highlights the fundamental significance of nature to man or human affairs, and describes the endeavor made by man to pursue life, order, and values through interaction with nature. The term has different ways of expression in history, such as heaven and man are of the same category, sharing the same vital energy, or sharing the same principles. Mencius(372?-289 BC), for one, believed that through mental reflection one could gain understanding of human nature and heaven, emphasizing the unity of mind, human nature, and heaven. Confucian scholars of the Song Dynasty sought to connect the principles of heaven, human nature, and the human mind. Laozi maintained that “man’s law is earthly, earth’s law is natural, and heaven’s law is Dao.” Depending on a different understanding of heaven and man, the term may have different meanings.
【CITATIONS】
In terms of integration of categories, heaven and man are one.
A Confucian scholar is sincere because of his understanding, and he achieves understanding because of his sincerity. That is why heaven and man are united as one. One can become a sage through studies, and master heaven’s law without losing understanding of man’s law.
Tian (天) is a sacred and fundamental concept in ancient Chinese philosophy. It has three different meanings. The first is the physical sky or the entirety of nature (not including human society), the …
TheChinese character for human being (人) has been imbued with Chinese humanistic spirit sinceit was created. In its ancient form, it resembled a man standing with his bodyslightly bending forward, his…
This term refers to a world outlook and a way of thinking which hold that heaven and man are different. This explanation was first put forward by Xunzi(313?-238 BC), who did not believe that human m…
The way of heaven refers to the basic rule governing the existence and changes of all things between heaven and earth (as opposed to “the way of man”). Ancient Chinese interpreted “the way of heav…
The term means the universal law observed by all things in heaven and on earth as well as by human society. Confucian scholars in the Song and Ming dynasties held that the essence of heaven was natural…
Humansand Nature respond to each other. This theory was put forward by Dong Zhongshu (179-104BC) ,who had inherited his predecessors’ thinking and believed that things ofsimilar nature could respond t…