Wang Yangming's Theory of the Unity of Knowledge and Action Revisited: An Investigation from the Perspective of Moral Emotion

Based on my previous work, this article illustrates two additional aspects of pure knowing: (1) moral motivation and (2) practical ability (enriched by practice). Moral emotion unifies all these characteristics of pure knowing. There is a difference of deg ree in clarity of consciousness, motivating power, and promotion of experiential knowledge between pure knowing without action, and various levels of pure knowing refined through action. This reading could solve apparent contradictions and logical problems in Wang's theory of the unity of knowledge and action, and beĴ er clarifies our moral experience.