Rethinking technological de-substantiation through Xiong Shili’s ti–yong framework and Tang Junyi’s philosophy of spiritual realms

Su, Tzu-ying (author)

This paper explores the phenomenon of de-substantiation in technological entities. The “de-substantiation” brought about by technology has opened up a new space for rethink­ing the definition of substance. The mutability of substance is by no means unfamiliar to Chinese philosophy. Through Xiong Shili’s Theory of Substance and Function, particu­larly his notion of qi as the dynamic state of being between substance and ontology, this paper rethinks the ontological implications of technological de-substantiation. At the same time, Tang Junyi‘s philosophy in The Existence of Life and the World of Spirituality provides a lens through which to examine how external “substance” (ti), “im­age/form” (xiang) and “function” (yong) transform along the continuum from the outer world to one’s inner spiritual life. This dual framework is employed to interrogate the boundaries of the “technological entity” under the process of de-substantiation. However, AI-generated images tend to remain at the level of recognition shaped by known indica­tors, endlessly multiplying perceptual variations of the external world that may be called an expansive field of “other-directed perception” (jue ta). In contrast, human cognition extends beyond this by extracting ideal meaning from within these indicators. Thus, by drawing on Xiong Shili’s and Tang Junyi‘s respective philosophies, this paper reflects on how technological de-substantiation affects the conceptual boundaries of technological substance. The conclusion affirms that self-awareness (zijue) and resonant perception (gan tong) remain the most precious values that distinguish human existence.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Xiong Shili, Tang Junyi, entity, de-substantiation, ChatGPT
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 103-126
• Numbering: Vol. 14, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-190607
• ISSN on article: 2232-5131
• DOI: 10.4312/as.2026.14.3.103-126
• Publication date in RUL: 05.11.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Asian studies = Azijske študije
• Publisher: Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-5131
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265206272

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Ponovni premislek tehnološke desubstancializacije skozi Xiong Shilijev okvir ti-yong in filozofijo duhovnih sfer Tang Junyija

Abstract

Prispevek obravnava pojav desubstancializacije v tehnoloških entitetah. »Desubstan­cializacija«, ki jo prinaša tehnologija, odpira nov prostor za premislek same opredeli­tve substance. Spremenljivost substance kitajski filozofiji nikakor ni tuja. Skozi Xiong Shilijevo teorijo substance in funkcije, zlasti njegovo pojmovanje qija kot dinamičnega stanja bivanja med substanco in ontologijo, članek na novo zastavlja ontološke implika­cije tehnološke desubstancializacije. Hkrati filozofija Tang Junyija v delu Obstoj življenja in svet duhovnosti ponuja perspekti­vo, s katere je mogoče preučiti, kako se zunanja »substanca« (ti), »podoba/forma« (xiang) in »funkcija« (yong) preoblikujejo vzdolž kontinuuma od zunanjega sveta do notranjega duhovnega življenja posameznika oziroma posameznice. Ta dvojni okvir nam pomaga pri preizpraševanju meja »tehnološke entitete« v procesu desubstancializacije. Vendar pa podobe, ki jih generira umetna inteligenca, praviloma ostajajo na ravni pre­poznavanja, oblikovanega z znanimi indikatorji, ter neskončno množijo število različic zaznavanja zunanjega sveta, kar lahko označimo kot razširjeno polje »zaznave drugega« (jue-ta). Človeška kognicija pa presega to raven, saj iz teh indikatorjev izlušči idealen pomen. Na podlagi filozofij Xiong Shilija in Tang Junyija avtor razmišlja o tem, kako tehnološka desubstancializacija vpliva na konceptualne meje tehnološke substance. V zaključku pokaže, da sta samozavedanje (zi-jue) in resonančna zaznava (gan-tong) tisti vrednoti, ki opredeljujeta človeško eksistenco in sta zato zanjo najdragocenejši.

• Keywords: Xiong Shili, Tang Junyi, entiteta, desubstancializacija, ChatGPT