Cheng Yi (philosopher)

Cheng Yi
Imaginary of Cheng Yi by Shangguan Zhou (上官周, b. 1665).
Born1033
Died1107 (aged 74)
Occupation(s)Classicist, essayist, philosopher, politician
Philosophical work
EraNeo-Confucianism
RegionChinese Philosophy
Personal Name
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinChéng Yí
Wade–GilesCh'eng I
Courtesy Name
Chinese
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinChéng Zhèngshū
Wade–GilesCh'eng Cheng-shu
Literary Pseudonym
Chinese先生
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYīchuān xiānshēng
Wade–GilesI-ch'uan Hsien-sheng

Cheng Yi (1033–1107), also known by various other names and romanizations, was a Chinese classicist, essayist, philosopher, and politician of the Song Dynasty. He worked with his older brother Cheng Hao. Like his brother, he was a student of Zhou Dunyi, a friend of Shao Yong, and a nephew of Zhang Zai. The five of them, along with Sima Guang, are called the Six Great Masters by his follower Zhu Xi. He became a prominent figure in neo-Confucianism, and the philosophy of Cheng Yi, Cheng Hao and Zhu Xi is referred to as the Cheng–Zhu school or the Rationalistic School.