知行

zhīxíng

noun

Meanings

1 knowledge and action
2 knowing and doing

Characters

to know; knowledge

Examples

HSK 5

学习贵在知行合一。

Xuéxí guì zài zhīxíng héyī.

What matters in study is uniting knowledge with action.

HSK 6

王阳明主张知行合一。

Wáng Yángmíng zhǔzhāng zhīxíng héyī.

Wang Yangming advocated the unity of knowledge and action.

Tips

history

Core pair in Confucian and Neo-Confucian thought. Zhu Xi (朱熹, Song dynasty) held that 知 (knowing) precedes 行 (acting); Ming-dynasty philosopher Wang Yangming (王阳明) reversed this with his famous doctrine 知行合一 ('unity of knowledge and action') - true knowing IS acting.

Stroke Order

知 zhī

行 xíng