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Li (Chinese:理;pinyin:lǐ) is a concept found inneo-ConfucianChinese philosophy. It refers to the underlying reason and order of nature as reflected in its organic forms.
It may be translated as "rationalprinciple", "law", or "organisational rights". It was central toZhu Xi's integration ofBuddhism into Confucianism. Zhu Xi held thatli, together withqi (氣: vital, material force), depend on each other to create structures of nature and matter. The sum ofli is theTaiji.[citation needed]
This idea resembles theBuddhist notion ofli, which also means "principle or ritual". Zhu Xi maintained, however, that his notion is found in theI Ching (Book of Changes), a classic source ofChinese philosophy.Zhu Xi's school came to be known as the School ofLi, which is comparable torationalism. To an even greater extent than Confucius, Zhu Xi had a naturalistic world-view. His world-view contained two primary ideas: qi and li. Zhu Xi further believed that the conduct of the two of these took place according to the organisational principles ofYin and Yang.
Holding to Confucius and Mencius' conception of humanity as innately good, Zhu Xi articulated an understanding ofli as the basic pattern of the universe, stating that it was understood that one could not live withoutli and live an exemplary life.Wang Yangming, a philosopher who opposed Zhu Xi's ideas, held thatli was to be found not in the world but within oneself. Wang Yangming was thus more of anidealist with a differentepistemic approach. However, in the practice oftraditional Chinese medicine, the endogenous and exogenous interpretations of these two philosophical ideas are not seen asmutually exclusive but are viewed, to create and control each other.
Li is well known and understood in the study, practice, and application ofTraditional Chinese Medicine.
The HuangdiNeijing (Chinese: 黃帝內經;pinyin:Huángdì Nèijīng), meaning theInner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, is the most important ancient text for the study of Medical and Daoist theory and lifestyle.
