From Plurality to Unity--A Comparative Study Concerning the Yin-Yang Theory and Hylo-morphism

10.7065/MRPC.200302.0029

鄔昆如(Peter Kun-Yu Woo)

Yin-Yang ； Hylomorphism ； Form ； Matter ； Causal Pinciple ； I-king ； Laotzu ； Confucius ； Reverend Moon ； Unification Thought

哲學與文化

30卷2期（2003 / 02 / 01）

29 - 42

英文

This article is divided into three main parts. The first part deals with the Chinese Yin- Yang. Theory, through which the author reminds us of the vital and generative principle for all things, especially in the Book of I-king (The Book of Change). Furthermore, the author menta ins about the two main trends of Chinese Philosophy: namly Confucianism and Taoism, both of which have their origin from I-king, emphasizing their option towards the same vital and generative function in order to explain about the cosmic and human principle. Though Lao-tzu and Confucius went through quite different ways to attain their life purpose, yet the fact that a human person participates in heaven's life remains the same. In the second part, the Aristotelian Hylomorphism would be discussed. The author maintains that the causal principle established by Aristotle can successfully explain both the phenomenon and essence of the changing world. Hylomorphism stresses of the material and formal causes, which at the same time lead different things from non-being into being, and completes the theory of the inner causes by putting forward the four causes. In his study of the causal principle, however, Aristotle created the term”entelecheia”, which enables us to make use of the final cause to explain about the finality of all things. In the third part, some comparisons would be raised between the causal principle, popular within the Christian culture and the principle of life in the Chinese culture. The author highligts again his doctrine of generation which he has delivered eighteen years ago in the thirteen International Conference on the Unity of Sciences (ICDS). He adds here more arguments from both the Holy Bible and the Church Fathers, who seem to prefer the theory of generation to cosmogony. But by this time the author would not like to substitute the term ”creation” with that of ”generation”, but in the definition of creation he specially points out the term emanation which appears both in the work of Thomas Aquinas and that of Bonaventura, who were the two most distinguished scholars in the Middle Ages. Finally the author gives some comments on Reverend Moon's theory about this theme.