ArticleOpen Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2024.04.010
The Study of Large Patterns and the Supreme Virtue: A Psychological Explanation of Wang Yangming’s Concept of Da Xue
Xiaofei Guo1,*, Linyin Chen2
1Department of Psychology, School of Teacher Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China.
2Department of Chinese, Lingnan University, Tuen Munn, N.T., Hong Kong, China.
*Corresponding author: Xiaofei Guo
Published: May 17,2024
Abstract
The Da Xue described in the Daxue has many interpretations, most scholars consider it equivalent to Tai Xue. Zhu Xi puts forward two explanations: one is the adult Xue; the other is the Tai Xue. Wang Yangming thinks that Da Xue can be interpreted as “great learning” or “learning in a large pattern”. He believes the truth of Da Xue is to cultivate people to have a big pattern of understanding in which moral rules mean being friendly to others and achieving the highest goodness. From the psychological point of view, Wang Yangming’s explanation is reasonable, the Da Xue in Daxue is the “grand pattern of learning”. It’s the study of lofty aspirations, love for the world, one’s country, and the people’s benefit. The path of the Da Xue suggests that the goal of moral education is to cultivate virtuous people’s self-improvement and achievement. The highest good in this grand design is for the people: by studying three principles and eight goals, individuals can eliminate desires, cultivate mindful attention for the betterment of the world in their hearts, and engage consciousness in a rational manner.
Keywords
Wang Yangming, Daxue, the path of Da Xue, large pattern
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How to cite this paper
The Study of Large Patterns and the Supreme Virtue: A Psychological Explanation of Wang Yangming’s Concept of Da Xue
How to cite this paper: Xiaofei Guo, Linyin Chen. (2024) The Study of Large Patterns and the Supreme Virtue: A Psychological Explanation of Wang Yangming’s Concept of Da Xue. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 8(4), 876-882.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2024.04.010