Feng Youlan (冯友兰)'s New Principle Learning (Xin Li Xue 新理学) and History of Philosophy

This chapter explains the philosophy of Feng Youlan 冯友兰. Feng is another key figure of the first generation of the new Confucianism movement. Feng devoted all his life to the transformation of Chinese philosophy, which included writing several books on the history of Chinese philosophy. His consistent attention is to rebuilding Chinese philosophy, especially its metaphysics, within the framework of eastern and Western cultures and of ancient and modern cultures. Feng’s own philosophy system is named New Principle Learning, which focuses on nature, society, and human individuals. He argues that the relation between nature and human beings is a key to understanding Chinese traditional philosophy.