<p>H<span>u</span> Shi’s 胡適 (1891–1962) and other intellectuals’ expositions of the conceptions of “things” (<i>wu</i> 物) and “investigation of things” (<i>gewu</i> 格物) are thought-provoking, as they reflect their efforts and ambitions in addressing the impact from the West. However, those who attempt to find the “spirit of objective cognition” or “natural science” in Neo-Confucianism are applying their own understanding of modernity as the criterion to evaluate the value and significance of traditional culture and classical learning. This paper is devoted to elucidating that the conception of “things,” in essence, is not epistemological; rather, it is a conception of practical philosophy, embodying the pursuit of ultimate order by Neo-Confucian thinkers. Through their emphasis on “things” and the “investigation of things,” Neo-Confucian scholars affirmed the reality of the actual world as a necessary field or medium for realizing their ideal moral-political order.</p>