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Zhu Xi on the Standard and the Expedient

Park SungKyu 1

1연세대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Historically many scholars debated the question of the standard(經) and the expedient(權). Han scholars claimed that “that which is at variance with the standard and complies with the Way is called the expedient”, and Cheng-I maintained that “the expedient is the same as the standard.” And Zhu Xi(1130-1200) made the most comprehensive analysis between them. He claimed that the standard is the standard and the expedient is the expedient. The two are clearly distinguished. And Zhu Xi maintained that “the exercising of the expedient can be done only by saints.” He was an absolutist in terms of moral standards and therefore insisted that all man should obey the standards and that only saints can choose the expedients. This neo-confucian philosopher has made many contributions to this Confucian ethical subject, but also there are many contradictions.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.