Q0173
“Extend the innate good knowing.” — Wang Yangming (Instructions for Practical Living et al.)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Instructions for Practical Living et al.. Theme: knowledge.
English
Extend the innate good knowing.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Instructions for Practical Living et al. and files it under Neo-Confucianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Wang Yangming
Wang Yangming (Wang Shouren, 1472–1529) was the Ming Neo-Confucian who taught unity of knowledge and action and innate moral knowing (liangzhi). A statesman and general who suppressed rebellions, he developed teachings in exile and military camps.
How to read this passage
Epistemology asks whether knowledge is justified true belief, reliable tracking of the world, or something else; it also asks how perception, testimony, memory, and reason contribute. This passage enters that discussion through knowledge, self, practice.
Concepts in this quote
- Knowledge
- Knowledge is the philosophical study of what we can justifiably claim to know—and where certainty ends.
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
- Practice
- Practice is where thought becomes habit: philosophy as a way of living, training, and repeated action.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Wang Yangming. (n.d.). Extend the innate good knowing. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0173
MLA: Wang Yangming. “Extend the innate good knowing..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0173.
Chicago: Wang Yangming. “Extend the innate good knowing..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0173.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Extend the innate good knowing.”?
The passage is attributed to Wang Yangming, Instructions for Practical Living et al.. The archive attributes this English wording to Instructions for Practical Living et al. and files it under Neo-Confucianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Wang Yangming mean by knowledge?
Epistemology asks whether knowledge is justified true belief, reliable tracking of the world, or something else; it also asks how perception, testimony, memory, and reason contribute. This passage enters that discussion through knowledge, self, practice.