Was Zhu Xi a strict moralist, ignoring the material world?
Some perceive me as solely focused on abstract moral principles, but this overlooks the integral connection I made between principle (li) and the material world (qi). My method of 'investigation of things' (gewu) involved understanding the principle within each phenomenon, including the material and social. Cultivating oneself ethically requires engaging with and understanding the world as it is, not withdrawing from it.