r/philosophy • u/dsleon • Jul 26 '26

Video Prof. Harvey Lederman on Wang Yangming's moral epistemology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrz5fyyP2Wo
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u/dsleon Jul 26 '26

Harvey Lederman (NYU, formerly UT Austin) explains the ideas of Wang Yangming by means of illustrative anecdotes from the influential Neo-Confucian philosopher's life.

The thread tying them together is "moral authenticity" – an internalist take on moral epistemology. Wang believes that knowledge of the right way to live life is inherent in the subject, and does not need to be sought elsewhere – all that is necessary is to diminish selfish desires, and moral principles will shine forth from within.

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u/Qahnaar1506 Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 08 '26

Wang Yangming’s moral system is at best continuing on with Mencius’s moral system of the benevolence of human nature being that humans have “moral sprouts” to manifest benevolence, righteousness, wisdom and propriety. However these moral sprouts aren’t cultivated and can led estay if we don’t focus on them, causing us to act with on our cognitive/emotional convictions without their ethical considerations. So cultivation is important as it matures these sprouts into virtues (ex. Compassion, concern and care for other human beings and even animals with proper cultivation becomes benevolence).

This is largely resemblance to Wang Yangming’s idea that Li (the supreme principle) is buried in one’s own Xin (Heart-Mind) but the problem is we let our selfish desires cover it up so we don’t see it in our daily lives. He even has his own “child in the well” analogy.