An Analysis of Wang Yangming’s View of Sages—A Study Based on the “Record of Transmission and Practice”

王阳明的圣人观是中国哲学史上一次极具突破性的理论重构。他在心学本位上建立起了具有自己独特理解的圣人观念，把古之圣人从具体的形象抽象成为纯德性的定义。本文结合王阳明所著《传习录》，根据王阳明探求成圣道路的反思过程，系统梳理王阳明圣人观的形成脉络，揭示其“此心纯乎天理”的圣人本质，并剖析“如何成为圣人”的修养工夫。Wang Yangming’s view of sages represents a highly groundbreaking theoretical reconstruction in the history of Chinese philosophy. Based on the philosophy of the mind, he established a concept of sages with his own unique understanding, abstracting the ancient sages from specific images into a definition purely based on virtue. This article, in combination with Records of “Instructions for Practical Living and Other Neo-Confucian Writings” written by Wang Yangming, systematically sorts out the formation context of Wang Yangming’s view of sages according to his reflective process of exploring the path to becoming a sage. It reveals the essence of sages as “a mind completely in accordance with the heavenly principle” and analyzes the cultivation methods of “how to become a sage.”