Tt is said (by lo Gall) that Chu-Hsi (Tchou Hi) was a bonze-(Buddhist priest) in his youth, but be broke with it, as Luther broke with his monasticism, objecting both-to its pantheism and its pessimism (of. p.97,189,302); He seems on the whole to agree with Mencius-as to the essential rightness of human nature. "When man's mind lis empty and still it will follow naturally that it is pure and clear'" (p.177). And it may be surmised that he underestimated sin because he compares man with the animal creation,. whereas the Jewish Scriptures always picture man against the background of an. interested God. "In the beast. the ethenol element (K'i or matter) is deflected and impure, the mind' is darkened and obscured. In man alone is the mind perfectly spiritual. Man is born endowed with the Mean,. the attribute of Heaven and Earth?" (p. 70). These writings hardly sustain the accusation of Jo Gall that:
Chu Hsi was a materialist, for teriticizes teachers like Kao -Tseu: (p.63), and. Yang (p.81) who stress the ethenol factor in life and so obscure the ethical principle, and' he magnifies the powers of mind':(p.221). But on such questions light Will be thrown by the author's companion volume "Introduction to the Philosophy of Chu Hsi and the Sung: School," which might have appear-led first with advantages. A summary view will be of great service: So far as one who is uninitiated can' judge Dr. Bruce's translation is excellent. The diffuseness and repetition of the arguments are due course to the structure of the original we-k of which the best has. been made. One of the key words. of the book, however is awkwardly translated The Nature, which is not English: -And the phrase "at one go" has crept like a stowaway into p.149. Tht printing is wisely and generously spaced, but in the {matter of type it would- have been an advantage if Question and Answer could have been differentiate jed. As for the footnotes, they appear.to be thorough and full and a further matter for congratulation ito Dr. Bruce.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.