The term means to study common and concrete human affairs and to progress from that to an understanding of higher and more universal truths. Coming from The Analects, it literally means to study human affairs and understand heaven’s will, but is actually advocating a spirit of scholarship and selfcultivation which regards the pursuit of heaven’s will and heaven’s way to be the highest stage of one’s life and lifelong mission. This is to mean that knowing something is to understand its truths, while acting upon something is to know its principles. This concept of scholarship and self-cultivation encourages people not to be satisfied with acquiring a specific object or learning a specific thing; rather, they should progress to acquiring knowledge of fundamental truths or universal rules, and strive for self-perfection or to reach a heightened state of self-awareness. The philosophical basis of this idea is that there is no distinction between dao and objects, and that knowledge and action are one.

To comprehend something is to understand its principles, so why not always think deeply about the principles of everything? If only the study of common human affairs is thorough, one will naturally know how to grasp the highest truths.  Zhu Xi: Sayings to Teach the Young

“That which is below form” and “that which is above form” are not two unrelated truths; “studying concrete things” and “reaching to a higher-level understanding” are not two separate efforts.  Lü Kun: Moan and Groan

 The key principle of Hao Chuwang’s scholarship is “studying concrete things and reaching to a higher-level understanding.” He argues that one understands principles after acting, and that one distinguishes right from wrong after becoming well versed in it. If one can truly act and become well versed in it, one can understand all principles and distinguish all right from wrong. So studying concrete things is to act, and reaching to a higher-level understanding is to acquire true knowledge. Huang Zongxi: Commentaries on Writings of Famous Scholars of the Ming Dynasty