According to Mou Zongsan, ming 命 (fate) in the Chinese context is not an empirical concept or a concept of knowledge, but a “notional concept” (xu gainian 虛概念) perceived through life practice, which manifests as the uncontrollable contingencies and limitations an individual encounters in time and space. This inexplicable and inescapable ming is often regarded as a kind of “malevolent force” (e shili 惡勢力), readily inducing a sense of powerlessness and even the abandonment of moral efforts. However, Confucianism does not lead to passive fatalism; instead, it emphasizes “rectifying ming” (zhengming 正命) and “establishing ming” (liming 立命) on the basis of “knowing ming” (zhiming 知命). By distinguishing between “seeking in oneself” (qiuzai wozhe 求在我者) (the original heart-mind of morality) and “seeking externally” (qiuzai waizhe 求在外者) (external circumstances), Confucianism advocates that one should exhaust one’s effort in the moral realm, while calmly “awaiting ming” (siming 俟命) when it comes to external limitations such as life and death, success and failure. Mencius proposed “cultivating oneself to await one’s ming, thereby establishing one’s ming (修身以俟之，所以立命也)”, emphasizing the transcendence of the limitations of ming through moral practice, showcasing the proactive spirit of “knowing that what one does is impossible and yet persists anyway (知其不可而為之)”. However, while Confucianism promotes “transcending” the constraints of fate, its potential lack of reflection on the “liberation” aspect might lead one to reconsider the theoretical efficacy of Confucianism in confronting the ultimate fate.
Hongxing Lin (Wed,) studied this question.