study of natural laws; investigation of principles
Refers to the systematic pursuit of underlying principles, especially in natural philosophy or science. A somewhat formal, academic term.
neo-Confucian investigation of principle
Specifically denotes a branch of neo-Confucian scholarship that seeks to understand the underlying principle (理) of things through exhaustive inquiry. Historical and philosophical term.
Scholars in the Edo period devoted themselves to the study of natural laws.
In Zhu Xi's school of neo-Confucianism, the investigation of principle was considered an important practice.
格物 is a related neo-Confucian concept meaning 'investigation of things', often paired with 窮理 (格物窮理). 窮理 emphasizes the exhaustive inquiry into principle.
(Western) physics
Standard kanji form for both senses; 窮 carries the nuance of 'exhaustively investigating'.
Variant kanji form; 究 also means 'to investigate thoroughly' and is used interchangeably.
From Chinese 窮理 (qiónglǐ), literally 'to exhaustively investigate principle'. The term was adopted into Japanese scholarship, particularly within neo-Confucian contexts.