Tai Chi

A term in Chinese philosophy meaning "ultimate origin." It begins with the passage "In the Book of Changes, there is Taiji, which gives birth to the two principles, which give birth to the four symbols, which give birth to the eight trigrams." This passage is interpreted as explaining the formation of the eight trigrams in the Book of Changes, as well as the creation of all things in the universe, and the term Taiji was used in various theories of creation from the Han to the Tang dynasties. In these cases, Taiji was usually considered to be Genki (the fundamental qi before it was differentiated into the two qi of yin and yang), but there were two theories: one that considers Taiji and Genki to be the highest origin of the creation of all things, and one that further establishes the metaphysical path or nothingness on top of that. There was also a theory of creation based on the five fortunes, which states that all things are created through the stages of Taiji → Taichu → Taishi → Taisu → Taiji. Later, when Zhou Dunyi (Lianxi) of the Northern Song Dynasty wrote the "Tai Chi Illustrated Guide," Tai Chi became deeply involved in the philosophical theory of Song learning.

[Kiyohiko Sueki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

「究極の根源」を意味する中国哲学の用語。『易経(えききょう)』繋辞伝(けいじでん)上に「易に太極有り、是(こ)れ両儀を生ず、両儀四象(ししょう)を生じ、四象八卦(はっか)を生ず」とあるのに始まる。この文は易の八卦(はっけ)の図形の成立を説くと同時に宇宙万物の生成を説いたものと解釈され、以後、漢代から唐代にかけて種々の系統の生成論に太極の語が用いられた。その場合、太極はたいてい元気（陰・陽の二気に分化する以前の根源の気）と考えられたが、太極・元気を万物生成の最高の根源とする説と、その上にさらに形而上(けいじじょう)の道や無をたてる説と、両様の説があった。また太易→太初→太始→太素→太極の段階を経て万物が成立すると説く五運説の生成論もあった。その後、北宋(ほくそう)の周敦頤(しゅうとんい)（濂渓(れんけい)）が『太極図説』を著すに及んで、太極は宋学の哲学理論と深くかかわるようになった。

［末木恭彦］

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