chih1 Chinese term roughly corresponding to ‘knowledge’. A concise explanation is found in the Hsün Tzu: ‘That in man by which he knows is called chih; the chih that accords with actuality is called wisdom (chih).’ This definition suggests a distinction between intelligence or the ability to know and its achievement or wisdom, often indicated by its homophone. The later Mohists provide more technical definitions, stressing especially the connection between names and objects. Confucians for the most part are interested in the ethical significance of chih. Thus chih, in the Analects of Confucius, is often used as a verb in the sense ‘to realize’, conveying understanding and appreciation of ethical learning, in addition to the use of chih in the sense of acquiring information. And one of the basic problems in Confucian ethics pertains to chih-hsing ho-i (the unity of knowledge and action). See also CONFUCIANISM , MOHIS. A.S.C.