Yang-ming Wang （1472－1529）offered "The Study of Conscienre" teachings in 1522, and developed an idealistic interpretation of CONFUCIANISM that denied the rationalistic dualism of the orthodox philosophy of CHU, HIS. There are three meanings in his CONSCIONCE － the First Cause, Congenital Reason and Sense. "The Study of Conscience" means to apprehend the First Cause, to obey self-conscience and to clear one's mind. He believed that universal moral law is irmate in numan beings and disconerable through self-cultivation. In contrast to the orthodox Confucian reliance on classical studies as a means to self-cultivation, he stressed self-awareness and unity of knowledge and action. Teachings of Yanh-ming Wang had a great civilizing influence on the contemporary in-telligentsia. One school of his followers emphasized the achievement of mystical enlightenment in manner strikingly similar to ZENBUDDHISM, which has coused many philosophers to refute his teachings.