Published on 2022.12.13

 

Two-Fold Meaning of Know 知Zhi – Know by Observation and Know by Moral Reflection

 

Confucius said, "When you know a thing, say that you know it; when you do not know a thing, admit that you do not know it. This is wisdom." (Analects Wei Zheng) This is the practical attitude towards “knowing” and “not knowing”. Then what does "know" (知) actually means ?

In reality, human beings are born with “knowing” to some extent. Regardless of who they are and what intelligence or competencies they have, “knowing” can be considered as an inherent capability of human beings. Besides, in all circumstances, “knowing” is more of an orientation assumed by a human in practice.

From the semantic perspective, the word “Know” in English is largely equal to the word “ 知” in Chinese. According to the linguistic-philosophical analysis by the contemporary scholar Keith Lehrer, “Know” has three meanings in different contexts: firstly, it means “to know or understand”, i.e. to own a type of capability, such as playing a musical instrument or cooking; secondly, it means to have a recognition, like to know a friend as a person, or to know Hong Kong as a place; thirdly, it means to have a knowledge of something, such as to know the structure of a cell phone. These three different meanings of “know” are more or less related to “knowledge”. Such an opinion of taking “know” as knowledge is a long-lasting view in western cultures.

 


In contrast, it is different in Chinese cultural traditions. Zhang Zai(張載), a great Confucian in Song Dynasty stated an important distinction for “知” Zhi: “聞見之知”, to know by observation (emphasizing that we acquire knowledge from the contact of the objects in the external world through our perceptive senses by ears and eyes) and “德性之知”, to know by moral reflection (emphasizing that we can achieve a moral judgment through internal reflection instead of our senses). From the perspective of function, the former concept is more like the word “know” in English, laying stress on the accumulation of knowledge and experiences through learning. The latter values the disposition and moral contemplation more, aiming at cultivating a person of noble character and values.

In other words, “to know by observation” is a recognitive activity that treats the external things as the target or range and “positively acquires” something from them, whereas “to know by moral reflection” is a reflective activity that treats the internal subject as the target and emphasizes “to adversely perceive”. In short, the two types of “know” show the selection and preference between knowledge and morality.


Then, how can we synthesize the two seemingly conflicting types of recognitive orientations of “know” and adapt from the past to apply in the present? From the pragmatic perspective of the modern social functions, the importance of cultivating professionals with specialized technology and knowledge is beyond doubt given the fact that the science and technology and market economy has been unlimitedly expanding. However, isn’t it a person with “single dimension” if a knowledgeable person with merely instrumental rationality only targets at efficiency but ignores principles and the internal values and morality that makes a person a human being?

Furthermore, as the purpose of the modern education, isn’t it a significant project worthy of attention and contemplation to strike a perfect balance between traditional culture and modern civilization, between instrumentality and moral values, between “to know by observation” and “to know by moral reflection”, so as to hold for a reason while facing social changes under the two major premises of instilling knowledge and cultivating civilians of morality?

Dr. Chow Kwok Leung

Dr. Chow Kwok Leung is an assistant professor in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Hong Kong Shue Yan University.
He is currently the deputy head of the Chinese Teaching Division and the coordinator of the Classics and Thought stream.
Dr. Chow obtained his Doctor of Philosophy degree at the New Asia Institute of Advanced Chinese Studies.
He previously served as a lecturer concurrently at Lingnan University, the Hong Kong Institute of Education, and the University of Macau.
He has published multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Legein Monthly and Bafang.
His representative work, "The principle of formation and the principle of existence - A comparative study of the principles and moral forms of Dai Zhen, Zhu Zi, and Mencius", was published in 2013. His research interest spans Contemporary Neo-Confucianism, Chinese Philosophy, Yi Jing, and Contemporary Western Literary Theories.


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