Beyond Moral Censorship: Zhu Xi’s Inward Gaze (Xingcha 省察) as a response to the Violence of Universalism

This paper re-evaluates Zhu Xi’s xingcha 省察 (inward gaze) by contrasting it with Augustinian voluntarism and Thomistic intellectualism. While previous scholarship often aligns xingcha with Augustinian moral censorship, I argue it is a process of verifying one’s moral potential is being fully and authentically manifested. grounded in trust in natural inclinations. By examining yi 意 (conscious activity), I demonstrate that Zhu Xi moves beyond the Augustinian distrust of nature to approach the Thomism. However, unlike Thomism, which prioritizes intellectual prudence over the inward gaze, Zhu Xi maintains xingcha until the final moment of practice. He argues that constant wakefulness is necessary not to suppress evil, but to prevent the violence of universalism caused by inattentiveness to situational variables. Ultimately, Zhu Xi’s xingcha offers a unique model of ethical and religious practice that ensures sincere moral practice through persistent sensitivity to the specificities of every moral encounter.