<正>Zhu Xi’s philosophy parallels some of the most important doctrines of the Greek classical tradition.Common to that tradition are the beliefs that the causal principle of the world is good and that individuals are linked to that cause through intermediate "forms" or species;but beyond that there is disagreement.Where Plato emphasized the forms’ connection with the first principle, Aristotle emphasized their connection with individuals and took more interest in empirical phenomena.And where Plato and Aristotle were dualists who ascribed contrasting origins to matter and form,Plotinus was a monist who regarded matter as an inferior emanation from the same source as form,and had no interest in the material world.Zhu Xi brings together the principles that divide the three Greeks:his concept of principle(li) resembles Plato’s forms,his emphasis on the investigation of things resembles Aristotle’s empiricism,and his emanationism resembles that of Plotinus.However,to the extent that his conception of li resembles Plato’s forms he diverges from Aristotle,while to the extent that his holism resembles Plotinus he diverges from both Aristotle and Plato,and to the extent that he shares Aristotle’s interest in empirical investigation he diverges from Plotinus.Understanding these resemblances and differences will help us discover what is at stake in the various commitments.