ABSTRACT
Gewu (or ke-wu, investigation of things) and zhizhi (or chih-chih, extension of knowledge) are two of the four steps in self-cultivation described in the Daxue (Great Learning): gewu, zhizhi, chengyi, and zhengxin. Chengyi refers to making one’s thoughts and inclinations fully directed toward ethics; zhengxin refers to the process of making correct (the activities of) the heart or mind.
