Hexagram 24 Fu - Complete Guide Part 4: Philosophy — Return in Confucian, Taoist, and Cyclical Thought
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BY NICOLE LAU
Hexagram 24 Fu - Complete Guide Part 4: Philosophy — Return in Confucian, Taoist, and Cyclical Thought
Fu raises one of the most fundamental questions of moral and philosophical life: what is the nature of genuine return, and how does the person of genuine inner virtue recognize the turning point and return to the source of genuine strength? The Confucian tradition, the Taoist tradition, and classical Chinese cyclical philosophy each offer a distinct and complementary answer.
The Confucian Reading: Self-Cultivation and the Return to Genuine Inner Virtue
Ke Ji Fu Li: Overcoming the Self and Returning to Ritual Propriety
The Confucian concept of ke ji fu li — overcoming the self and returning to ritual propriety — is the philosophical foundation of Fu. The Analects: “To subdue one's self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue.” (Analects 12.1) The genuine return of Fu is the Confucian ke ji fu li: the genuine return to the source of genuine inner virtue through the genuine overcoming of the self. The person who overcomes the self — who returns to genuine inner virtue through the genuine overcoming of personal desire, personal advantage, and personal agenda — finds the genuine return of Fu: the turning point at which genuine strength returns from below.
Ri Xin: Daily Renewal as the Foundation of Genuine Return
The Confucian concept of ri xin — daily renewal, the genuine return to genuine inner virtue that genuine self-cultivation requires every day — is the philosophical foundation of Fu's most important practical wisdom. The Great Learning: “If you can one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day. Yea, let there be daily renovation.” The genuine return of Fu is the Confucian ri xin: the daily renewal of genuine inner virtue that genuine self-cultivation requires. The person who renews themselves daily finds the genuine return of Fu: the turning point that initiates genuine renewal.
The Paradox of Confucian Return: Returning to What Was Never Lost
The deepest Confucian insight of Fu is the paradox of genuine return as the return to what was never lost: the genuine inner virtue that the time of dissolution has not consumed — the large fruit uneaten of Bo — is the genuine inner virtue that was never truly lost. The Confucian return is not the acquisition of something new but the return to something that was always present: the genuine inner virtue that is the natural endowment of every human being. This is the Confucian paradox of Fu: genuine return is the return to what was never truly lost.
The Taoist Reading: Return to the Source and the Natural Cycle of the Tao
Fu Gui Gen: Returning to the Root as the Foundation of Genuine Renewal
The Taoist concept of fu gui gen — returning to the root, the genuine return to the source of all things that is the foundation of genuine renewal — is the philosophical foundation of Fu. The Tao Te Ching: “Returning to the root is called stillness. This is what is meant by returning to one's destiny.” (Chapter 16) The genuine return of Fu is the Taoist fu gui gen: the genuine return to the root of genuine inner virtue, the genuine stillness of the winter solstice that is the foundation of genuine renewal. The person who returns to the root — who finds the genuine stillness of the winter solstice at the turning point — finds the genuine renewal that genuine return makes possible.
The Paradox of Taoist Return: The Tao That Returns to Itself
The Taoist philosophy of Fu is the philosophy of the Tao that returns to itself — the natural cycle of the Tao that always returns to its source. The Tao Te Ching: “Reversal is the movement of the Tao.” (Chapter 40) The genuine return of Fu is the Taoist reversal: the natural movement of the Tao that returns to its source after the time of dissolution. The person who understands the Taoist reversal — who knows that the dissolution of Bo naturally leads to the return of Fu — finds the genuine wisdom to recognize the turning point and return to the source of genuine inner virtue.
Classical Chinese Cyclical Philosophy: The Relationship Between Return and Renewal
The Seven-Day Cycle: The Natural Rhythm of Genuine Return
The classical Chinese cyclical philosophy of the seven-day cycle — the natural rhythm of genuine return expressed in Fu's judgment: on the seventh day comes return — is the philosophical foundation of Fu's most important teaching: genuine return follows a natural rhythm. The seven-day cycle of Fu is the classical Chinese expression of the natural rhythm of genuine return: the seven lines of the natural cycle from Bo to Fu, the seven days from the maximum of dissolution to the turning point of genuine return.
Fu and the Philosophy of Invariant Constants
Fu and Bo (Splitting Apart, Hexagram 23) together express one of the I Ching's most important invariant constants: the natural cycle of dissolution and return. The dissolution of Bo naturally leads to the return of Fu; the return of Fu naturally leads to the next cycle of genuine growth that eventually leads to the next dissolution of Bo. The invariant constant is not the return itself but the natural cycle that makes genuine dissolution and genuine return possible.
The philosophical insight of Fu is that genuine return is not the opposite of genuine dissolution but its natural consequence: the person who preserves the seed of genuine inner virtue through the time of dissolution — who keeps the large fruit uneaten through the time of splitting apart — finds that the genuine return of Fu follows naturally. Thunder within the earth. On the seventh day comes return. It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
What Is Next in This Series
- Part 1: The Symbol and Structure
- Part 2: The Six Lines — Complete Line-by-Line Commentary
- Part 3: Divination Guide — How to Read Fu in Practice
- Part 4 (This Article): Philosophy — Return in Confucian, Taoist, and Cyclical Thought
- Part 5: Practical Applications — Recognizing Turning Points, Fresh Starts, Genuine Renewal
- Part 6: Modern Interpretations — Turning Point Science, Neuroplasticity, Cycles of Renewal
Keywords: hexagram 24 philosophy, fu confucian, fu taoist, return confucianism i ching, ke ji fu li return propriety, ri xin daily renewal, fu gui gen returning root, fan reversal tao fu, seven day cycle fu, fu bo natural cycle, fu invariant constant, 64 hexagrams philosophy, fu complete guide, i ching return philosophy, earth thunder philosophy, winter solstice philosophy, classical chinese cycles i ching
