Cosmology, Nature and Mind - A New Philosophical View on Dao

1. Cosmology, Nature and Mind- A New Philosophical View on Dao Guo Yi郭沂 Institute of Philosophy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Internationales Kolleg Morphomata, University of Cologne

2. Introduction • 1. The crisis of humanity and Philosophy • Since the 19th century, both Chinese and Western philosophies have suffered under the impact of modernization and capitalism. • Since its beginning, Chinese philosophy has focused on the value and meaning of life.

3. In Western culture, the original meaning of Philosophy is “love of wisdom”. This confirms that since the very beginning, Western Philosophy was interested in knowledge. • Despite this, the key issues in traditional Western Philosophy before Kant and traditional Chinese Philosophy are very similar.

4. But since modern times, Western philosophers have been chiefly concerned with the world of knowledge and have taken knowledge as their highest goal. • Bacon: “knowledge is power” • The knowledge in question is natural knowledge; the rationality they revered is instrumental rationality. • Meanwhile value left quietly

5. modernization has brought to our time not only dramatic changes and previously unknown material pleasures, but also the pollution of the environment, the clash of civilizations and the decline of value. • At the same time, modern Philosophy, infiltrated by modernity, has lost its way. • Kant: ”man and generally any rational being exists as an end in himself” • Therefore, in any reasonable philosophical system, a theory of value should occupy the dominant and central position, and a theory of knowledge a subordinate position. • The crisis of humanity and Philosophy is the crisis of value.

6. 2. The defects and tasks of Chinese and Western philosophies • The major defect of Chinese Philosophy is the absence of a theory of knowledge, while the major defect of Western Philosophy is the breakdown of its theory of value. • Therefore the challenge for Chinese Philosophy is to construct a theory of knowledge to support its theory of value. The challenge for Western Philosophy is to reconstruct its theory of value to govern its theory of knowledge.

7. 3. How to establish the new philosophical system that places its theory of value in the lead role, its theory of knowledge in a supporting role. • We should adopt a correct attitude forward Metaphysics. • Metaphysics is the lifeblood of Philosophy. • Since Aristotle, Metaphysics has been called the first Philosophy. • Modern Western Philosophy began to turn away from Metaphysics to concrete science, from substance to phenomenon, from the a priori to experience.

8. The separation between substance and phenomenon is a basic characteristic and also a key limitation of traditional Western Metaphysics. It has resulted in the decline of traditional Western Metaphysics. • It requires us not to throw Metaphysics away, but to reform and even to rebuild it. • Metaphysics also is the foundation and core of Chinese Philosophy. • the traditional Chinese Metaphysics concerns itself with three levels, namely Ontology, human nature and the human mind.

9. this metaphysical system has none of the aforementioned drawbacks of Western Philosophy, moreover it could rectify these drawbacks. • To develop the theories of life, ethics, society and politics by constructing or revising Metaphysics is fundamental method in Chinese Philosophy • An important characteristic of Chinese Metaphysics is the combination of cosmology and ontology.

10. I. The Sphere of Dao - where we come from 1.1

11. 1. The Big Bang Theory and the Philosophical Cosmology in Ancient China • (1) The Big Bang Theory • cosmogony has made marked progress and became a notable form of learning and it cannot but be a solid foundation for constructing a contemporary Metaphysics.

12. Big Bang Theory has been broadly accepted. • 14 billion years ago, this single point exploded and expanded rapidly and produced the universe. • When the expansion stops, as the gravity of its galaxies causes the universe collapse and condense, all galaxies will assemble closer and closer, until finally the universe becomes a single high density point.

13. (2). The philosophical cosmologies in ancient China • No doubt the ancient philosophers could not imagine the above development of modern cosmogony, but it is striking that the cosmological models they established are very similar. • The Philosophical cosmology in ancient China could be divided into three cosmological models.

14. The received version of Lao Zi:“道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。” “Dao produced the One, the One produced the Two, the Two produced the Three, The Three produced the myriad things. The myriad things carry the yin and embrace the Yang, and through the quiet and peaceful Qi, they achieve harmony.”

15. (3). the inner connection between the single point and the myriad things • Like the Big Bang Theory, the above philosophical cosmologies in ancient China hold that the universe comes from an original point and undergoes a process of development or expansion. • The similarities are the result of the similarity between process of generation and development of the universe and of the myriad things.

16. Georges Lemaître, who advocated Big Bang Theory first compared the process of the universe expanding from the “primeval atom” to the process of a big oak tree growing from a small acorn. • Modern biology proved that parents’ genes could be inherited by their children, while most members of an ethnic group carry the same gene. • Based on this, we can conclude that as the mother of the universe, the single point should contain all basic information, and all things should carry the original information of the single point.

17. The ancient philosophers believe that in the process of producing, the producer gave its own nature to the myriad things. • For instance, the received version of Laozi said:

18. 朴散则为器。 • 天下有始，以为天下母。既得其母，以知其子。既知其子，复守其母，没身不殆。 • When the uncarved wood is broken up, it is turned into concrete things. • There was the beginning of the myriad things. Which may considered as the mother of the myriad things. He who has found the mother, and thereby he can understand her children.

19. For Lao Zi, Dao should be divided into two kinds or levels, namely original Dao and secondary Dao. Original Dao is the Dao which has the creative power and is the broad root of all things. Secondary Dao is the Dao which is in all things or was obtained by all things. To all things, the secondary Dao is de or virtue.

20. Following traditional Chinese Metaphysics, I would like to reconstruct Metaphysics into three parts or spheres, namely Dao Ti 道体 (or the sphere of Dao), Xing Ti 性体 (or the sphere of Nature) and Xing Ti 心体 (or the sphere of Mind).

21. 2. The Composition of Dao • The sphere of Dao is a transcendent and absolute world. It is the origin of the universe, the root of the world and the mother of the myriad things. It is an absolute “great whole” 大全, boundless, ceaseless, all-embracing, without beginning or end. • the sphere of Dao is formed by three fundamental elements, namely Zhi值, Li理 and Qi气.

22. Zhi值is the locus of value and meaning. Qi 气is locus of energy and matter. Li 理is the locus of form, reason, law and principle. • there are two kinds of Li. One exists in Zhi and could be named as Zhi Li 值理（or the law of value）. Another exists in Qi and could be named as Qi Li 气理（or the law of matter）. • Zhi, Qi and Li have different properties. • Zhi is the highest element, Qi is the lowest, and Li is between them.

23. Dao has ten characteristics, namely Heng 恒（or eternal）, Pu 朴（or plain）, Jing 静（or quiet）, Xu 虚（or vacuous）, Du 独（or independent）, Cheng 诚（or facticity）, He 和（or harmonious）, Sheng 生（or productive）, Ren 仁（or benevolent）, Yi 易（or change）. The general property of them is Heng or eternal. They together are called Shi De 十德(or “the Ten Characteristics”).

24. 3. From the Wuji or Non-ultimate to Taiji or the Great Ultimate • In the sphere of Dao, Zhi值, Li理 and Qi气 are eternal. They are the thing-in-itself. So they could be called respectively Heng Zhi恒值 (or the Eternal value), Heng Li恒理 (or the Eternal reason), and Heng Qi恒气 (or the Eternal matter-energy). • This state of Dao is Wuji无极 （or Non-Ultimate）.

25. The immediate origin of the universe is Taiji or the Great Ultimate which scientists called the single point. • Dao is a mother, Taiji or the Great Ultimate is her egg, the universe is her child that came from the egg. • When the Eternal value, the Eternal reason, the Eternal matter-energy come together, they forme Taiji太极 or the Great Ultimate. This is the single point and the direct producer of the universe.

26. The Eternal value, the Eternal reason and the Eternal matter-energy in Taiji could be called Tai Zhi太值 or the Primeval Value, Tai Li太理 or the Primeval Reason and Tai Qi太气 or the Primeval Matter-energy respectively. • Tai Zhi and Tai Li are in Tai Qi, and not separate from Tai Qi. • Inasmuch as Tai Qi is one kind of matter-energy, so it should be a limited being, and this determines Tai Zhi and Tai Li that Tai Qi carries are also limited.

27. 4. Taiji or the Great Ultimate Produces the Myriad Things • As for the process by which Taiji or the Great Ultimate produces the universe and the myriad things, I accept Zhou Dunyi’s (1017-1073) idea in his work An Explanation of the Diagram of the Great Ultimate:

29. 周敦颐《太极图说》：无极而太极。太极动而生阳，动极而静；静而生阴，静极复动。一动一静，互为其根；分阴分阳，两仪立焉。周敦颐《太极图说》：无极而太极。太极动而生阳，动极而静；静而生阴，静极复动。一动一静，互为其根；分阴分阳，两仪立焉。 • The Great Ultimate through movement generates yang. When its activity reaches its limit, it becomes tranquil. Through tranquility the Great Ultimate generates yin. When tranquility reaches its limit, activity begins again. So movement and tranquility alternate and become the root of each other, giving rise to the distinction between yin and yang, and the two modes are thus established.

30. 阳变阴合而生水火木金土，五气顺布，四时行焉。五行一阴阳也，阴阳一太极也，太极本无极也。阳变阴合而生水火木金土，五气顺布，四时行焉。五行一阴阳也，阴阳一太极也，太极本无极也。 • By the transformation of yang and its union with yin, the Five Agents of Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth arise. When these five material forces (Qi) are distributed in harmonious order, the four seasons run their course. The Five Agents constitute one system of yin and yang, and yin and yang constitute one Great Ultimate. The Great Ultimate is fundamentally the Non-ultimate.

31. 五行之生也，各一其性。无极之真，二五之精，妙合而凝。乾道成男，坤道成女。五行之生也，各一其性。无极之真，二五之精，妙合而凝。乾道成男，坤道成女。 • The Five Agents arise, each with its specific nature. When the reality of the Non-ultimate and the essence of yin, yang, and the Five Agents come into mysterious union, integration ensues. Qian (Heaven) constitutes the male element, and Kun (Earth) constitutes the female element.

32. 二气交感，化生万物，万物生生而变化无穷焉。二气交感，化生万物，万物生生而变化无穷焉。 • The interaction of these two material forces engenders and transforms the myriad things. The myriad things produce and reproduce, resulting in an unending transformation.

33. Taiji or the Great Ultimate, corresponds to the single point; the Five Agents of Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth correspond to the elementary particles and various cosmological materials after the Big Bang. • The only absolutely eternal one is Dao. Taiji or the Great Ultimate has a beginning and an end. The universe that Taiji produced is also limited, and will experience a process from generation to growth to death.

34. When Taiji or the Great Ultimate evolved and became the universe, it existed in the universe and the myriad things. • Taiji or the Great Ultimate could be divided into two levels. One is the producer, which could be called the Original Great Ultimate, and another is the Taiji which was in the myriad things, and could be called the Secondary Great Ultimate. • when the single point evolved into the universe, or the Original Great Ultimate evolved into the Secondary Great Ultimate, Dao itself ran through the myriad things.

35. The Secondary Great Ultimate is Xing性 (or the Nature) of the myriad things. • As the Great Ultimate was formed by Zhi, Li and Qi, therefore Xing or Nature as the Secondary Great Ultimate also could be divided into three kinds, namely the Nature of Zhi值之性(or the Value Nature), the Nature of Li理之性(or the Reason Nature), and the Nature of Qi气之性(or the Physical Nature).

36. As embodiment of Dao, on the one hand, Taiji is the source of the universe, so that it is transcendent and a priori. On the other hand, it runs through the myriad things, so that it is internal and experiential. As the relation between Taiji and Dao, we can say Dao is transcendent and also internal, a priori and also experiential.

37. II. The Sphere of Xing or Nature- what we are

38. 2.1 The Difference Between the Nature of Man and the Nature of Things • (1) physical nature • As the myriad things inherit their own Qi from Tai Qi in thousands of ways, the physical nature in the myriad things is different in thousands of ways

39. Xunzi (313-238 B.C.): “Water and fire have Qi but not life, plants have life but not awareness, animals have awareness but not the consciousness of Yi or justice. Man has all of Qi, life, awareness and the consciousness of justice.” • A. Thing with Qi: a mineral • B. thing with life: a plant • C. thing with awareness: an animal • D. thing with the consciousness of justice: a man

40. Xing or Nature is the totality of the properties a thing possesses • The property or properties that represent the essence of one kind of thing may be called its Essential Nature. • The other property or properties may be called its Non-essential Nature • Essential Nature: • A. plant: life • B. animal: animal mind • C. man: human mind

41. Essential Nature is the narrow meaning of Nature • human mind is human nature, mind is nature • (2) value nature • Does everything among myriad things have value nature? Is the value nature of the myriad things same? • The difference between physical nature determines differences of value nature and reason nature, only men have value nature.

42. (3) the Reason Nature • A. the Reason Nature of Value • B. the Reason Nature of Matter • the difference between physical nature and value nature among the myriad things determines the difference between their reason natures. • only man as the thing with an awareness of justice has the reason nature of value.

43. Since the Original Great Ultimate received limited information from Dao, and the myriad things received limited information from the Original Great Ultimate, the Dao in the myriad things is quite limited.

44. 2.2 Differences in Human Nature • Is the nature that each and every person received from the Great Ultimate same or different? • Every person inherits his or her physical nature in thousands of different ways. The differences between physical nature determines the differences between value nature and reason nature.

45. Does this mean that some are born good, and some are born evil? • A. from the perspective of the value nature and the reason nature of value, then man’s nature is good.This is the same, whether for the sage or ordinary person. • There are differences between the value natures and the reason natures of value in every person in terms of great and small, many and few, strong and weak. This is the difference between the sage and the ordinary person.

46. B. from the perspective of the physical nature and the reason nature of matter, although man’s nature itself has no good or evil, it still has the possibility of doing good or bad. • Everybody has the possibility of doing good and evil. This is the same, whether one is a sage or an ordinary person. • physical natures and the reason natures of matter of men differ in thousands of ways, so that the possibilities of doing good and evil are different in thousands of ways. This is the difference between the sage and the ordinary person

47. four sentences: • In the original substance of nature there is no good and evil. • Being able either to do good or to do evil is the function of the nature. • To tend to good or evil depends on endowment. • To do good and remove evil depends on education.

48. III. The Sphere of Xin or Mind- what we can do

49. the Mind of Qi or the Physical Mind is subjective, active, and has perception. It can be called the Subjective Mind. • The Mind of Zhi or the Value Mind and the Mind of Li or the Reason Mind are objective and can be called the Objective Mind. • the so-called Subjective Mind is the brain and the whole nervous system. It has three basic functions, we can express them by three terms, namely Zhi知 or knowing, Qing情 or emotion and Yi意 or intention.

50. 3.1 Zhi知 or Knowing • Zhi or knowing is the function of the Subjective Mind, comprising three kinds, namely Renzhi认知 (or Cognition), Ganzhi感知 (or Sense Perception), and Juezhi觉知 (or Illumination).