The Interrelationship Between the Entire Figure, Images and the Theory of Ideas of Chou I (Book of Change)

Author: Huang-Ch'ing Hsuan(Department and Research Institute of Chinese)

Abstract：

The main purpose of this article is to explore the interrelationship between the Entire Figure (數), Images (Hsiang, 象) and the Theory of Ideas (義理) in the study of CHOU I.
A philosophy of life is embodied in the phenomena represented by the Fig-ures, including T'aichi (太極), Liang Yi (兩儀), Four Images (四象), Eight Tri-grams (八卦), Sixty-four hexagrams (六十四卦) and Three-hundred and eighty-four lines of hexagrams (三百八十四爻). Thus, there are two schools of thought of Hsiang Shu (象數) and I Li (義理) in the study of CHOU I.
In analyzing the theories of the Hsiang Shu and I Li schools of thought, this article selects aspects of combines, and elaborates on the ideas of both schools. We use both the ambiguities and directness of the "Explanations of the Entire Fig-ure" (KUA TS'U 卦辭 and YAO TS'U 爻辭) and the "SHI I" (十翼) of CHOU I as analytical criteria to illustrate the interrelationship of two theories: the explana-tion of Images based on Figures and clarification of the Theories of Ideas based on Images. Through the comparative study of the contradictions between the two schools; their meaning can be greatly clarified.

《Full Text》