ZHANG, LIU and LIANGs Comments and Interpretations on DAI Zhen

Li and Yu (reason/truth and desire) stands are the nucleus of DAI Zhen's Yi and Li (righteousness and reason/truth) theory, and they are also the key that distinguishes from ZHU Xi as the orthodox of Confucian philosophy. And during the time from the end of Qing Dynasty to the beginning of the Republic, such scholars as ZHANG Tai-yan, LIU Shi-pei and LIANG Qi-chao vigorously interpreted and propagated DAI's Yi-Li theory, so as to resume its full appearance, which made famous the DAI study. Their mutual concern is DAI's Li and Yu stands; but the comments and interpretations differ comparatively large for their varied perspectives. ZHANG starts from DAI's political angle and thinks that DAI has no essential conflict with CHENG brothers and ZHU Xi; that is, they differ only in levels of interpretation in politics and ethics. LIU adopts both a Chinese and a Western criterion: appraising on the one hand DAI's Yi and Li classical exegesis foundation that surpasses the Song Dynasty scholars, and points out on the other hand its inferiority to the Western thoughts. LIANG makes judgment in terms of philosophical conceptions. He claims that DAI's Li-Yu theory prefers an emotional philosophy to a rationalistic philosophy, the former essentially resembling to a large extent the renaissance trend of thought. All these comments and interpretations have exerted profound influence upon modern Chinese thinking and learning, and even become a model for the DAI studies.