Quotation
Last reviewed:
“Knowledge is the beginning of action and action the completion of knowledge.”
Wang Yangming · Neo-Confucianism (School of Mind) · Renaissance · c. 1512
What does it mean?
Knowing and doing are one process seen from two ends.
Did Wang Yangming really say this?
The library’s label is Paraphrase or translation. Chan's English of Wang's reply to Xu Ai. A translation from classical Chinese.
Where it comes from
Instructions for Practical Living, Part I, sec. 5, tr. Wing-tsit Chan
Approximate date: c. 1512.
How to use it
If you 'know' you should check your mirrors but don't, Wang would say you don't yet really know it.
A mindset reading
Measure your knowledge by what you do.
Understand the philosophy
His example: we know a bad smell by the very act of disliking it. No gap opens between the two.
- knowledge
- virtue
- ethics
FAQ
What does it mean?
Knowing and doing are one process seen from two ends.
Did Wang Yangming really say this?
Paraphrase or translation. Chan's English of Wang's reply to Xu Ai. A translation from classical Chinese.
Which work is it in?
Instructions for Practical Living, Part I, sec. 5, tr. Wing-tsit Chan Approximate date: c. 1512.