Yi (philosophy)

Yi, (simplified Chinese: 义; traditional Chinese: 義; pinyin: yì; Jyutping: Ji6; Zhuyin Fuhao: ㄧˋ), lit. 'justice, morality, righteousness; meaning'.

Confucianism[]

In Confucianism, Yi involves a moral disposition to do good, and also the intuition and sensibility to do so competently.^[1][2] Yi represents moral acumen which goes beyond simple rule following, involving a balanced understanding of a situation, and the "creative insight" and decision-generating ability necessary to apply virtues properly and appropriately in a situation with no loss of sight of the total good.^[2]

Yi resonates with Confucian philosophy's orientation towards the cultivation of benevolence (ren) and ritual propriety (li).

In application, yi is a "complex principle" which includes:^[2]

1. skill in crafting actions which have moral fitness according to a given concrete situation;
2. the wise recognition of such fitness;
3. the intrinsic satisfaction that comes from that recognition.

Daoism[]

The Zhuangzi discusses the relationship between yi (righteousness) and de (virtue). ^[3]

See also[]

• De (Chinese)
• Moral character

Sources[]

• Cheng, Chung-ying (July 1972), "On yi as a universal principle of specific application in Confucian morality", Philosophy East and West, 22 (3): 269–280, doi:10.2307/1397676, JSTOR 1397676
• Burton, Watson (1968). The complete works of Chuang Tzu. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231031479.

References[]

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