Further development of Neo-Confucian philosophy： Although Confucianism had been adopted as “orthodox” state doctrine since the Han Dynasty，and Neo-Confucianism since the Yuan Dynasty, there existed many liberate and oppositional ways of thought among the Confucian scholarship, especially from the Donglin A-cademy.
新理学的进一步发展:尽管理学自汉朝以来被认为是正统的国教，但是，自元朝时候起，新理学就以多种自由的和相反的思想形式在理学者，特别是东林院中流行。
Taoism and Chan-Buddhism showed their influence in the thinking of Ming scholars that retired from official posts and developed quietistic philosophies.
道教和禅宗佛学在明朝退休的高官中有很大影响,并发展成了清静无为哲学。
The greatest Ming philosopher is Wang Yangming or Wang Shouren. He proposed that an innate knowledge enable man to reach goodness even without learning or studying the Confucian Classics.
明朝最伟大的哲学家是王阳明（王守仁），他认为,人可以不学习、不研究理学，其良知就能让其达到善界。
Li Zhi even renounced the orthodox Confucianism and accused his contemporaries of pharisaism.
李贽甚至完全放弃传统的理学，并批评他同时期的哲学家的伪善。
He sympathized with Buddhism and vernacular literature of the urban population, and he acted as advocate of discriminated and disadvantaged groups like the poor average people, women and ethnic minorities.
他同情佛教和城里人的本语言文学,并为那些受歧视和处于弱势的人群如贫穷的老百姓、妇女和少数民族而充当辩护人。
Li Zhi’s words and behaviours were lodged a false accusation against the classics and orthodoxy by the governors and he was arrested and put into prison and died there.
李贽的言行被当时统治者诬为离经饭道，结果被捕下狱而死。
Science and technology :In the field of science and technology, numerous publications about geography also of foreign countries, techniques, agronomy, geology, craftsmanship, military, medicine and pharmacology were published, for ex-ample Chen Fu9s and Wang Zhen's Nongshu or Book of Agronomy 11, Xu Guan-gqi^ agronomic encyclopedia Nongzheng Quanshu , and Li Shizhen^ pharmacological encyclopedia Bencao Gangmu .
科学技术:在科学技术方面，一系列的关于国内国外的地理学、技术、农学、地质学、手工业、军事、医学和药物学的作品出版发行。如，陈甫和王祯的《农书》，徐光启的《农政全书》和李时珍的《本草纲目》。
Another interesting book is the illustrated encyclopedia 5a^icai Tuhui Of u Assembled illustrations of the Three Realms of Heaven y Earth and Man 11.
另一本有趣的著作是《三才图会》，书中诠释了三大王国——天国、地球和人类的关系。
Another famous book which is about science and technology is Song Yingxing'S Tian Gong Kai Wu M.
著名的科技读物是宋应星的《天工开物》。
And u Traveling Notes of Xu Xiake 19 \S a book about Chinese geography by the greatest traveler Xu XiaKe then in the Ming dynasty, who traveled on foot to all the famous and great mountains and rivers in China.
而明朝时期大旅行家徐霞客的《徐霞客游记》则讲述了中国的地理情况，徐霞客徒步游遍了中国的名川大山。
At the end of the Ming, Jesuit missionaries translated Western writings (and not only the Bible ), and Chinese writers described machines the Jesuits had presented to the Chinese Emperors.
明朝末年，耶稣使者翻译了大量的西方作品（不仅仅是《圣经》），中国作家也讲述了使者们送给中国皇帝的机器。
Like today, the Chinese scholars of late Ming Dynasty were especially interested in science and technique of the West.
和今天一样,明朝时期的中国学者们对西方的科学技术都极为感兴趣。
The Western missionaries and travelers also brought Chinese science to Europe.
而西方的传教士和旅行家也把中国的科学带到了欧洲。
Anecdotes, stories and novels:The advance in printing technique as well as the demand from an urban public made it necessary and possible for vernacular literature to become more widespread than ever before.
文学艺术:印刷术的发展和城镇居民的需要使本土文学有必要、有可能比以前任何时候发展的更快。
Anecdotes, stories and tales were published in collections like M PaVan Jingqi y，or u Surprising Stories Causing the Reader to Pound the Table ”“Jingu Qiguan ”or“ Wonderful Tales of Old and New Times.
奇闻逸事、小说和故事常常成册发行，如《拍案惊奇》、《今古奇观》等。
Probably the most important late Ming anecdote writer is Feng Menglong who wrote the ghost story u Pingyaozhuan and the collection Xingshi HengyanOf M Proverbs Awakening the World yy .
明朝晚期最著名的奇闻作家也许是冯梦龙，他著写了神鬼小说《平妖传》和《醒世恒言》。
Apart from short Stories ,voluminous novels were written that consisted of hundreds of small tales a-bout local and historic heroes ： the hero tales “ Journey to the Westby Wu Cheng n, Investiture of the Gods edited by Xu Zhonglin, the M Three Kingdoms , and the u Water Margin 11 Of u Bandits of Liangshan Swamp by LllO Guanzhong, and finally, the erotic social critic M Plums in a Golden Vase Theatre plays had been popular since the Song Dynasty, and we possess a collection of famous Yuan theatre plays published during Ming, the u Yuanquxuan 11. The greatest Ming theatre play is Tang Xianzu^ u Peony Pavilion.
除短篇小说外，长篇小说又叫章回小说也有大量出版，它们通常包括有关地方和社会英雄的数百个故事。如，吴承恩的《西游记》,还有许仲琳编辑的《封神演义》，罗贯中的《三国演义》和《水浒传》，还有最后时期的描写性爱的遭到社会批判的《金瓶梅》。自宋朝以来戏曲一直很流行，直到现在我们还有在明朝时期出版的著名元曲集锦《元曲选》，明朝时期最伟大的戏曲是汤显祖的《牡丹亭》。