Neo-Confucianism

In the Sinosphere and Chinese philosophy, qi ( ; ) is a vital force traditionally believed to be a part of all living entities. Literally meaning 'vapor', 'air', 'gas', or 'breath', the word qi is polysemous, often translated as 'vital energy', 'vital force', 'material energy', or simply 'energy'. Qi is also a concept in traditional Chinese medicine and in Chinese martial arts. The attempt to cultivate and balance qi is called qigong.

Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to lǐxué 理學, literally "School of Principle") is the cultural revival of Confucianism as an ethical, social, and religious system, which dominated Chinese philosophy from the 13th through the 19th century. Although its origin lies in the Tang dynasty, it was fully developed during the Song dynasty under the formulations of Zhu Xi (1130–1200), the tradition's central figure. Zhu, alongside Cheng Yi and Cheng Hao, comprises the dominant Cheng–Zhu school, in opposition to the later Lu–Wang school led by Wang Yangming and Lu Xiangshan.

principle of supreme potential in Chinese philosophy

concept in Confucianism

thumb|Portrayal of Wang Yangming

[理] a concept found in Neo-Confucian Chinese philosophy

one of the major philosophical schools of Neo-Confucianism

medieval Chinese text

philosophy in Edo-period Japan

work on the history of China by Zhu Xi, based on Sima Guang's Zizhi Tongjian