隨著"形"到"形而上"的演化,先秦哲學確立的"形"范式遂逐漸轉換為"體"范式。魏晉之際,新形名家再度崛起,高揚"形(名)"。作為對此的回應,其他思想家則分別從儒家、道家立場出發,以"體"來撥正"形"。王弼將"形"與"體"劃分為兩個層次,"形"為實存之"然","體"為"所以然",從而使"形"徹底被貶抑,"形體之辯"最終自覺確立起"體"范式的主導地位。宋儒一方面以"未嘗無"、"見在底"與"合當底"統一來詮釋與規定"體",繼續推進相應思考;另一方面,將"理"提升至"所以然"與"所當然"的統一,進而以"理"規定"體"。作為"所當然"的"體"被用于摹寫"人",但不能用來描述"物","體"的描述功能被擠壓而受限。由此,"理"壓倒"體"而被確立為新的思想范式。從"形與體之辯"到"體與理之辯","形"、"體"、"理"三范式的自覺嬗變,呈現了中國古典哲學思想脈絡的完整性與系統性。

Following the shift from"form"(形)to"metaphysics"(形而上,or what is above forms),the"form"paradigm established in the pre-Qin era evolved into the paradigm of"body(體)."The juncture of the Wei and Jin dynasties saw a resurgence of new philosophers of"form and name"(形名)who exalted form(name).In response to these ideas,others thinkers,starting from Confucianism and Daoism,used"body"to correct"form."Wang Bi divided form and body into two levels:"form"was what it was,while body was"reason"or what made it so."Form"was thus rendered totally insignificant;ultimately,"body"consciously took the leadership in the"argument of body and reason."Song Neo-Confucians used the integration of"possible existence"(未嘗無),"existence"(見在底),and"what should exist"(合當底)to interpret and define"body"to develop the corresponding thinking.At the same time,they elevated"reason"(理)into the union of"what is so"and"what should be so."The"body,"as the reasonable state or"what should be so,"could be used to describe people but not things,thus curtailing its descriptive function.In this way,"reason"suppressed"body"and was set up as a new intellectual paradigm.From the"argument of form and body"to the"argument of body and reason,"the conscious evolution of the three paradigms of"form,""body,"and"reason"exhibits the holistic and systematic nature of the development of Chinese philosophy.