Returning to Zhu Xi

A reconsideration of Zhu Xi, known as the "great synthesizer" of Confucianism, which establishes him as an important thinker in his own right. Zhu Xi (1130–1200), the chief architect of neo-Confucian thought, affected a momentous transformation in Chinese philosophy. His ideas came to dominate Chinese intellectual life, including the educational and civil service systems, for centuries. Despite his influence, Zhu Xi is known as the "great synthesizer" and rarely appreciated as a thinker in his o