Abstract: How Nishida Kitaro’s philosophy inherited NeoConfucianism is a grand topic.In fact, the theory of “the investigation of things and the extension of knowledge” was the starting point of Zhu Xis establishment of his NeoConfucianism system, and Research on Goodness established the unity of subject and object that ran through the different stages of NisidaKidaro‘s thoughts. Both ZhuXi Study and YangMing Study took the unity of heaven and humanity as the basic premise, but the starting point of learning lay in the two ends of “investigating things” and “the rediscovery of conscience”. In Nishida Kitaro’s later years, he paid more and more attention to the thought of “things” in the real historical world, which had begun to appear in the stage of Research on Goodness. Although he held the position of the unity of subject and object, he had been trying to overcome the tendency that Research on Goodness was misunderstood as psychologism or consciousness. In epistemology, he emphasized abandoning the subjective assumption of self and being consistent with the nature of things.Therefore, at least in terms of realism, the pure experience position established in Research on Goodness is closer to the theory of “the investigation of things and the extension of knowledge” of ZhuXi Study. In his later years, he also cited Zhu Xi‘s “investigating things”explanation to support his logical construction of the real historical world and ensure the objective authenticity of his thoughts.

Key words: the investigation of things and the extension of knowledge, Japan, Nishida Kitaro, Research on Goodness, the subjectobject unity