Knowledge, Action, and Virtue in Zhu Xi

How are knowing and acting related? Zhu Xi 朱熹 addresses this question with a walking analogy: "Knowledge and action always need each other. It's like how eyes cannot walk without feet, but feet cannot see without eyes. If we discuss them in terms of their sequence, knowledge comes first. But if we discuss them in terms of importance, action is what is important".1 In this analogy, a certain perceptual awareness is causally prior to walking. Such awareness is responsible for the walker's proceeding without obstacle and walking successfully. But, in the analogy, walking is normatively prior to sight. That is, sight's value is subordinated to that of walking: sight is valuable for the sake of...