A methodological account of conceptions of unity of theoretical noumenon and practical functions of Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi

The meaningful concept of unity of theoretical noumenon and practical functions(Liyifenshu)is created by Cheng Yi as he answers the question by Yang Shi,his disciple on West Inscriptions(Ximing),and later gets remodeled and enriched by Zhu Xi.As an important component of Cheng and Zhu's idealist philosophy,it plays a significantly methodological role,by means of which Cheng and Zhu solve the existence and the unity of the universal matters,consequently determining their philosophical nature and development.Likewise,Cheng and Zhu's philosophy outdoes the hypothesis of cosmological unification discussed by Confucianism,Daoism,and Buddhism,and becomes more tenable,dialectical and greater system of philosophy.