20 Structure of Thesis 21 Chapter 1—Biography 24 Political Life 24 Demeanor 28 Teachings, Learning and Beliefs 31 Chapter 2—Cai Qing’s Li as Exhibited in the Self 34 Self-Cultivation 3
Trang 1Acknowledgements
This thesis would not have come to fruition if not for the encouragement of my professors and peers I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor A/P Ong Chang Woei who has to endure guiding me—a slow learner and one who flusters at the slightest incongruence between what she comprehends and discovers from historical evidence Besides giving me invaluable guidance, he has also shown
me immensurable emotional encouragement and patience since I attended his first lecture in the year 2005 Another professor who has guided me all this while is Dr Koh Khee Heong Despite the fact that I frequently appeared at his doorway abruptly without first making any appointment as I was so eager to clarify some questions, he never failed to exhibit a welcoming smile The numerous discussions with him were sometimes stern to force me to think but were for most of the time genial and enriching
I must also not forget to show my gratitude to A/P Lo Yuet Keung who is like a father figure to me When I was like a lost soul, unable to cope with life’s unpredictabilities,
he was there to provide timely advices In fact, he was the professor to spark off my interest in Chinese philosophy when I was in the second year of college and my interest in this area sustains My college life has been made more fulfilling by them as well as many others professors in the Chinese, Philosophy and History Departments, and the Centre of Language Studies whom I learnt a lot form
A million thanks too to my family members—my parents for raising and educating me and my siblings for taking care of me What is life without friends? The many intelligent and helpful friends who I befriended have enriched my life I thank them for their selflessness I benefit a lot from the pointers and assistance given (you and I know who you are, especially Yap Soo Ei) I would like to thank Seah Miaochan and Yue Cong especially for always being by my side whenever I need (or even when
Trang 2I do not need) them Ms Kong Huiting is another lady who deserves special mention Her lending a sympathetic ear is one great form of moral encouragement My kind and helpful friends in the library have also made the birth of this thesis possible I must also not forget those wonderful souls who I met during the field trip to Jinjiang and Xiamen, especially my travel partner—Goh Yu Mei May all of them be always rejoicing in happiness
The person to whom I would like to say the biggest “thank you” from the very bottom of my heart is YK—someone who has brought meaning and vigor into my life The encounter on 17 April, 2009 has changed our destinies I hope hand in hand, we are able to partake in each and every moment of our lives—the past, present, future and afterlife (if there is any) This work is dedicated to YK
Trang 3Contents
Introduction 1
Literature Review 3
Why Study Cai Qing? 20
Structure of Thesis 21
Chapter 1—Biography 24
Political Life 24
Demeanor 28
Teachings, Learning and Beliefs 31
Chapter 2—Cai Qing’s Li as Exhibited in the Self 34
Self-Cultivation 34
Four Fundamentals Steps—Gewu, Zhizhi, Chengyi, Zhengxin 38
From Self-Cultivation to Unison with the Universe 46
Chapter 3—Cai Qing’s Li as Exhibited in the Family/Clan 52
Li Acquired Being Extended to Kin 52
Two Li Being Outlined—Xiao, Ti 55
Li and Clan Members 57
Chapter 4—Cai Qing’s Li as Exhibited Beyond the Familial Sphere 66 Self and Ultimate Goodness of All in the Universe 66
Independence of Locales 79
Conclusion 90
Reference Matter Bibliography 98
Trang 4Summary
Ming dynasty (1368-1644) Neo-Confucianism has taken on various facades when interpreted by scholars who approach it differently For instance, it has been regarded by some as being a lifeless intellectual activity until the emergence of Wang Yangming 王阳明 (1472-1529); a school of thought or sect that preoccupied itself with moral cultivation and metaphysical issues; an attestation of individualism or grassroots dynamism I find there are some aspects that have been overlooked Scholars have been using Wang Yangming as a focus to trace the unfolding of intellectual activity in Ming dynasty What about pre-Wang Yangming period? Were Ming Neo-Confucians only interested in self-cultivation? Apart from moral issues, would not the teachings of these Neo-Confucians tell us other features of Ming dynasty?
Among the Neo-Confucians who appeared before Wang Yangming, Cai Qing
蔡清 (1453-1508), whose commentaries on Confucian classics gained wide acceptance during the sixteenth century, caught my attention As an historical figure who has been understood differently by Qing scholar Huang Zongxi 黃 宗 羲 (1610-95) and contemporary historians, I believe he warrants a more detailed study under a framework that does not observe him through a philosophical glass darkly Studying him under both philosophical and sociopolitical lenses proves to give us more insights into this mid-Ming (1458-1548) Neo-Confucian Cai Qing (not surprisingly) highlighted the importance of moral cultivation At the same time, his thoughts showed
us his ideas about how the state should be governed Self-cultivation is by no means an end in itself as its benefits should be extended to beyond oneself The harmonization of the self with others and even the entire universe was what Cai Qing aimed to achieve
Trang 5goodness, we see that he acknowledged the independence of the people An ideal system of management should therefore begin from the individual and extends to one’s kin and finally to the universe The institutional manner of governing is not unwelcomed but not always indispensible
My thesis concludes that the intellectual dynamism of Ming dynasty over
nearly 300 years will be pretermitted on the predication that Wang Yangming is the
icon This obnubilates our understanding of Ming dynasty I also prove that grassroots dynamism was encouraged by Cai Qing, who had inherited the vision of Northern and Southern Song predecessors such as Zhang Zai and Zhu Xi For Cai Qing, a unified empire that acknowledged diversity and hierarchy was the vision