窮きゅう理り

noun

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.

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいの学がく者しゃは、自し然ぜん現げん象しょうの窮きゅう理りに励はげんだ。

  Scholars in the Edo period devoted themselves to the study of natural laws.

noun

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.

• 朱しゅ子し学がくでは、窮きゅう理りは重じゅう要ような修しゅ行ぎょうの一ひとつとされた。

  In Zhu Xi's school of neo-Confucianism, the investigation of principle was considered an important practice.