On Wang Yangming's Philosophy of Mind (Xinxue)
Cheng Gong
Planetary Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities Research April 7, 2026 DOI: 10.63620/mkpjsshr.2026.1057 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Key points | Proposes a systematic three-layer framework for Wang Yangming's Xinxue, articulated as "Tao as One, Morals as Two, and Practice as Three," corresponding to "Mind is Principle," "Extending Innate Conscience," and "Unity of Knowledge and Action." Argues that according to Xinxue logic, the "Mind" is the determining factor for artificial products, including both material and spiritual wealth. |
Abstract
Wang Yangming, a Chinese philosopher of the Ming Dynasty, synthesized the philosophical traditions of ancient Confucianism and Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism to establish The Philosophy of Mind (Xinxue), a system with a history exceeding five hundred years. Its theories and practical applications have profoundly influenced social philosophy in East Asian nations such as China, Japan, and Korea, and it is even credited with indirectly contributing to Japan’s Meiji Restoration. While scholars worldwide have continuously researched and discussed Xinxue theoretical foundations, a comprehensive and systematic investigation of remains lacking. Employing a systems-based approach, this paper integrates the core tenets of Xinxue with global philosophical, and constructs a universal, logical, and complete systemic framework for Xinxue through analysis, synthesis, and conceptual expansion. This framework is articulated as the “Tao as One, Morals as Two, and Practice as Three.” philosophical system, corresponding to the Tao Layer “Mind is Principle” (Xin Ji Li), the Morals Layer “Extending Innate Conscience” (Zhi liangzhi), and the Practice Layer “Unity of Knowledge and Action” (Zhixing Heyi). Meanwhile, it is deduced according to Xinxue logic that the “Mind” is the determining factor for artificial products (including both artificial materials and spiritual wealth).
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How do the brain's time and space mediate consciousness and its different dimensions? Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC). | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |