Zhu Xi

Zhū Xī
Zhu Xi
Born	(1130-10-18)October 18, 1130 Youxi, Fujian Province, China
Died	April 23, 1200(1200-04-23) (aged 69) China
Other names	Courtesy title: 元晦 Yuánhuì Alias (号): 晦庵 Huì Àn
Era	Song Dynasty
Region	Chinese Philosopher
School	Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism
Influences Confucius, Mencius, Cheng Hao, Zhou Dunyi, Cheng Yi, Zhang Zai
Influenced Arthur Schopenhauer, Joseph Needham, Wang Yangming, Toegye, Wang Fuzhi, Qian Mu, Tu Wei-ming

Zhu Xi
"Zhu Xi" in regular Chinese characters
Chinese	朱熹
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhū Xī Gwoyeu Romatzyh Ju Shi Wade–Giles Chu1 Hsi1 IPA [ʈʂú ɕí] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jyū Hēi Jyutping Zyu1 Hei1 Southern Min Tâi-lô Tsu Hi Middle Chinese Middle Chinese tʃju hji
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese	朱子
Literal meaning	"Master Zhu"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhūzǐ Wade–Giles Chu1-tzu3 IPA [ʈʂútsɨ̀] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jyū-jí Jyutping Zyu1-zi2 Southern Min Tâi-lô Tsu-tzú

Zhu Xi or Chu Hsi (Chinese: 朱熹, October 18, 1130 – April 23, 1200) was a Song dynasty Confucian scholar who was the leading figure of the School of Principle and the most influential rationalist Neo-Confucian in China. His contributions to Chinese philosophy including his assigning special significance to the Analects, the Mencius, the Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean (the Four Books), his emphasis on the investigation of things (gewu), and the synthesis of all fundamental Confucian concepts, formed the basis of Chinese bureaucracy and government for over 700 years. He has been called the second most influential thinker in Chinese history, after Confucius himself.

Zhu Xi, whose family originated in Wuyuan County, Huizhou (in modern Jiangxi province), was born in Fujian, where his father worked as the subprefectural sheriff. After his father was forced from office due to his opposition to the government appeasement policy towards the Jurchen in 1140, Zhu Xi received instruction from his father at home. Upon his father's death in 1143, he studied with his father's friends Hu Xian, Liu Zihui, and Liu Mianzhi. In 1148, at the age of 19, Zhu Xi passed the Imperial Examination and became a presented scholar. Zhu Xi's first official dispatch position was as Subprefectural Registrar of Tong'an (同安縣主簿), which he served from 1153 - 1156. From 1153 he began to study under Li Tong, who followed the Neo-Confucian tradition of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, and formally became his student in 1160.

In 1179, after not serving in an official capacity since 1156, Zhu Xi was appointed Prefect of Nankang Military District (南康軍), where he revived White Deer Grotto Academy (白鹿洞書院). and got demoted three years later for attacking the incompetency and corruption of some influential officials. There were several instances of receiving an appointment and subsequently being demoted. Upon dismissal from his last appointment, he was accused of numerous crimes and a petition was made for his execution. Much of this opposition was headed by Han Tuozhou, the Prime Minister, who was a political rival of Zhu's. Even though his teachings had been severely attacked by establishment figures, almost a thousand brave people attended his funeral. After the death of Han Tuozhou, Zhu's successor Zhen Dexiu, together with Wei Liaoweng, made Zhu's branch of Neo-Confucianism the dominant philosophy at the Song Court.