Yi (philosophy)

Yi
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	義
Simplified Chinese	义
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin yì Yue: Cantonese Jyutping ji6
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese	nghĩa
Chữ Hán	義
Korean name
Hangul	의
Hanja	義
Transcriptions Revised Romanization ui
Japanese name
Kanji	義
Kana	ぎ
Transcriptions Romanization gi

In Chinese philosophy, yi (simplified Chinese: 义; traditional Chinese: 義; pinyin: yì) refers to righteousness, justice, morality, and meaning.

Confucianism

In Confucianism, yi involves a moral disposition to do good, and also the intuition and sensibility to do so competently. Yi represents moral acumen which goes beyond simple rule following, involving a balanced understanding of a situation, and the "creative insight" and decision-generating ability necessary to apply virtues properly and appropriately in a situation with no loss of sight of the total good.

Yi resonates with Confucian philosophy's orientation towards the cultivation of benevolence (ren) and ritual propriety (li).

In application, yi is a "complex principle" which includes:

1. skill in crafting actions which have moral fitness according to a given concrete situation;
2. the wise recognition of such fitness;
3. the intrinsic satisfaction that comes from that recognition

Daoism

The Zhuangzi discusses the relationship between yi (righteousness) and de (virtue).

See also

• De (Chinese)
• Moral character