英文摘要 |
This paper explores whether Zhu Xi's Ethics, viewed from the perspective of theories of reasons, is a case of internalism or externalism of reason. The meaning of internalism and externalism is first clarified. I identify Bernard Williams' Internal Reason Theory and Wang Yangming's Doctrines of the Unity of Moral Knowledge and Action as two paradigms of internalism. Based on the standard of these two paradigms, I argue that Zhu Xi's ethics is not a case of internalism. In this paper, I also apply the result of Mou Zongsan's analysis, namely that the xingli (Nature-Reason) of Zhu's philosophy is ''merely an ontological Being without activity'', onto the context of theories of reason and argue that xingli is a ground of the justification of action rather than a motivational force. Thus, Zhu Xi's ethics represents a version of externalism. Finally, in comparison with John McDowell's externalism, Zhu Xi's procedure of ''Investigating Things and Extending Knowledge'' proves to be more sophisticated in so far as it is a theory of moral practice. |