The Substance of the Mind and the Immortality of the Self in Zhu Xi: In Relation to the Guishen-hunpo Theory

• Published in: Yugyo munhwa yŏnʼgu. Vol. 28; pp. 47 - 66
• Main Author: Kim Woo-hyung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 성균관대학교 유교문화연구소 31.08.2017
• Subjects: benti (original substance); guishen (spiritual beings); hunpo (human soul); immortality; mind (xin); self; Zhu Xi; 心; 本體; 朱熹; 自我不朽; 鬼神; 魂魄
• ISSN: 1598-267X
• DOI: 10.22916/jcpc.2017..28.47

這篇文章旨在, 處理朱熹哲學鬼神魂魄觀念所涉及的心的本體與自我不朽的問題。朱熹將鬼神理解爲陰陽二氣的功能和自然造化現象, 而將魂魄――它相當於人的鬼神――則理解爲心之物質(氣的)形態。 魂魄是鬼神最爲旺盛的狀態, 也具認知功能。然而, 它又如同以氣組成的事物相類, 根据氣的聚集和分散, 心之物質性顯現也有出生與死亡。 與此相反, 心的本體是永恆的理(性), 不能被描述爲聚集和分散。 朱熹通過一個本體觀念, 幷從宇宙論的基礎上, 重新構成理氣二元論, 依此堅持認爲, 自我作爲心的本體是不朽的。 由此可知, 朱熹的建議是從以宇宙論爲中心的立場去探索自我。朱熹扣緊祖先的祭祀儀式而重構理氣論, 進而主張祖先的魂魄能勾在宇宙原理(理)的基礎上重新出現。由於宇宙原理包含有關祖先的所有信息與歷史, 所以理能勾在子孫的心中重現祖先的一切。 朱熹對不朽自我的見解, 可視之爲具創意的觀點。 In this article, I discuss the conceptions of the substance of the mind (xin) and the immortality of the self in relation to the guishen-hunpo theory in Zhu Xi`s philosophy. Zhu Xi interprets guishen as the two functions of qi and intelligible natural phenomena. He also explains that hunpo, or human guishen, is the material substance of the mind. Hunpo is the most flourishing state of guishen and performs the cognitive function.However, in the same way as things composed of qi, the mind also experiences birth and death depending on the gathering and scattering of qi. In contrast, the original substance of the mind is equivalent to eternal li (xing) which cannot gather or scatter. Reconstructing the concept of the original substance (benti) on the foundation of cosmological li-qi dualism, Zhu Xi insists that the original self is immortal as it is the original substance of the mind. Zhu Xi recommends cultivating the self fromthe universe-centered perspective grounded on this understanding. Justifying sacrificial rites for ancestors in his theory of li-qi, Zhu Xi claims that their hunpo can reappear in their descendants` minds based on the cosmological principle (li); since the cosmological principle contains all the information and history of the ancestors, it can reproduce everything regarding those ancestors. Zhu Xi`s view of the immortal self deserves to be evaluated as a creative thought. [Article in Chinese]