On the Relationship Between Philosophical Constructions and Interpretations of the Classics with a Focus on Zhu Xi’s Interpretation of the Four Books

Abstract

This chapter examines the tension between philosophical construction and classical interpretation. It analyses Zhu Xi’s very specific philosophical interpretations of early classics, such as the Four Books. As an example of the cross-cultural disputes among the East Asian Confucians, Huang introduces the middle-Tokugawa Confucians’ criticisms of Zhu’s abstract interpretations.