Zhuang Zhou

Zhuang Zhou (/dʒuˈɑːŋ ˈdʒoʊ/),[1] commonly known as

莊子 Zhuangzi ( 莊子)
Zhuangzi (/ˈʒwæŋˈziː/;[2] Chinese: ; literally "Master
Zhuang"; also rendered as Chuang Tzu),[a] was an influential
Zhuang Zhou ( 莊周)
Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BC during
the Warring States period, a period corresponding to the summit of
Chinese philosophy, the Hundred Schools of Thought. He is
credited with writing—in part or in whole—a work known by his
name, the Zhuangzi, which is one of the foundational texts of
Taoism.

Contents
Life
Writings
Influence
Biological evolution
See also
Born c. 369 BC
Notes
Died c. 286 BC (aged c. 82 –
Citations
83)
References
Era Ancient philosophy
External links
Region Chinese philosophy
School Taoism
Life Philosophical skepticism
Influences
The only account of the life of Zhuangzi is a brief sketch in
Zhou Era Chinese thought:
chapter 63 of Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian,[4] and
most of the information it contains seems to have simply been Confucius, Laozi, Mozi, Hui Shi,
drawn from anecdotes in the Zhuangzi itself.[5] In Sima's Yang Zhu
biography, he is described as a minor official from the town of Influenced
Meng (in modern Anhui) in the state of Song, living in the time of
Daoism, Chinese Buddhism, Zen,
King Hui of Liang and King Xuan of Qi (late 4th century BC).[6]
and other East Asian philosophies,
Sima Qian writes:
Alan Watts, Aleister Crowley,
Murray Rothbard
Chuang-Tze had made himself well acquainted with
all the literature of his time, but preferred the views of Zhuangzi
Lao-Tze; and ranked himself among his followers, so
that of the more than ten myriads of characters
contained in his published writings the greater part are
occupied with metaphorical illustrations of Lao's
doctrines. He made "The Old Fisherman," "The
 Robber Chih," and "The Cutting open Satchels," to
satirize and expose the disciples of Confucius, and
clearly exhibit the sentiments of Lao. Such names and
characters as "Wei-lei Hsu" and "Khang-sang Tze"
are fictitious, and the pieces where they occur are not
to be understood as narratives of real events.

But Chuang was an admirable writer and skillful

composer, and by his instances and truthful
descriptions hit and exposed the Mohists and Literati.
The ablest scholars of his day could not escape his "Zhuangzi" in seal script (top),
satire nor reply to it, while he allowed and enjoyed
Traditional (middle), and Simplified
himself with his sparkling, dashing style; and thus it
(bottom) Chinese characters
was that the greatest men, even kings and princes,
could not use him for their purposes. Traditional Chinese 莊子
King Wei of Chu, having heard of the ability of
Simplified Chinese 庄子
Chuang Chau, sent messengers with large gifts to Hanyu Pinyin Zhuāngzǐ
bring him to his court, and promising also that he
Literal meaning "Master
would make him his chief minister. Chuang-Tze,
however, only laughed and said to them, "A thousand Zhuang"
ounces of silver are a great gain to me; and to be a Transcriptions
high noble and minister is a most honorable position. Standard Mandarin
But have you not seen the victim-ox for the border
Hanyu Pinyin Zhuāngzǐ
sacrifice? It is carefully fed for several years, and
robed with rich embroidery that it may be fit to enter Bopomofo ㄓㄨㄤ   ㄗˇ
the Grand Temple. When the time comes for it to do Gwoyeu Romatzyh Juangtzyy
so, it would prefer to be a little pig, but it can not get
Wade–Giles Chuang¹ Tzŭ³
to be so. Go away quickly, and do not soil me with
your presence. I had rather amuse and enjoy myself in Yale Romanization Jwāngdž
the midst of a filthy ditch than be subject to the rules IPA [ʈʂwáŋ.tsɹ̩̀]
and restrictions in the court of a sovereign. I have Wu
determined never to take office, but prefer the
enjoyment of my own free will."[7] Romanization Tzaõ-tzy
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization Jōngjí
The validity of his existence has been questioned by Russell
Kirkland, who writes: Jyutping Zong1zi2
IPA [tsɔ́ːŋ.tsǐː]
According to modern understandings of Chinese Southern Min
tradition, the text known as the Chuang-tzu was the Tâi-lô Tsong-tsú;
production of a 'Taoist' thinker of ancient China Tsng-tsú
named Chuang Chou/Zhuang Zhou. In reality, it was
Eastern Min
nothing of the sort. The Chuang-tzu known to us
today was the production of a thinker of the third Fuzhou BUC Cŏng-cṳ̄
century CE named Kuo Hsiang. Though Kuo was Middle Chinese
long called merely a 'commentator,' he was in reality
Middle Chinese tʂjang-tzí
much more: he arranged the texts and compiled the
present 33-chapter edition. Regarding the identity of Old Chinese
the original person named Chuang Chou/Zhuangzi, Baxter–Sagart *[ts]raŋ tsәʔ
there is no reliable historical data at all.[8] (2014)
However, Sima Qian's biography of Zhuangzi pre-dates Guo Zhuang Zhou
Xiang (Kuo Hsiang) by centuries. Furthermore, the Han Shu Traditional Chinese 莊周
"Yiwenzhi" (Monograph on literature) lists a text Zhuangzi,
showing that a text with this title existed no later than the early 1st Simplified Chinese 庄周
century AD, again pre-dating Guo Xiang by centuries. Hanyu Pinyin Zhuāng Zhōu
Transcriptions
Writings Standard Mandarin

Zhuangzi is traditionally credited as the author of at least part of Hanyu Pinyin Zhuāng Zhōu
the work bearing his name, the Zhuangzi. This work, in its current Bopomofo ㄓㄨㄤ   ㄓㄡ
shape consisting of 33 chapters, is traditionally divided into three Gwoyeu Romatzyh Juang Jou
parts: the first, known as the "Inner Chapters", consists of the first
seven chapters; the second, known as the "Outer Chapters", Wade–Giles Chuang¹
consist of the next 15 chapters; the last, known as the "Mixed Chou¹
Chapters", consist of the remaining 11 chapters. The meaning of Yale Romanization Jwāng Jōu
these three names is disputed: according to Guo Xiang, the "Inner IPA [ʈʂwáŋ ʈʂóu]
Chapters" were written by Zhuangzi, the "Outer Chapters" written
by his disciples, and the "Mixed Chapters" by other hands; the Yue: Cantonese
other interpretation is that the names refer to the origin of the titles Yale Romanization Jōng Jāu
of the chapters—the "Inner Chapters" take their titles from phrases Jyutping Zong1 Zau1
inside the chapter, the "Outer Chapters" from the opening words of
IPA [tsɔ́ːŋ tsɐ́u]
the chapters, and the "Mixed Chapters" from a mixture of these
two sources.[9] Southern Min
Tâi-lô Tsong Tsiu
Further study of the text does not provide a clear choice between
Middle Chinese
these alternatives. On the one side, as Martin Palmer points out in
the introduction to his translation, two of the three chapters Sima Middle Chinese tʂjang tʃjuw
Qian cited in his biography of Zhuangzi, come from the "Outer Old Chinese
Chapters" and the third from the "Mixed Chapters". "Neither of
Baxter–Sagart *[ts]raŋ tiw
these are allowed as authentic Chuang Tzu chapters by certain
purists, yet they breathe the very spirit of Chuang Tzu just as much (2014)
as, for example, the famous 'butterfly passage' of chapter 2."[10]

On the other hand, chapter 33 has been often considered as intrusive, being a survey of the major
movements during the "Hundred Schools of Thought" with an emphasis on the philosophy of Hui Shi.
Further, A.C. Graham and other critics have subjected the text to a stylistic analysis and identified four
strains of thought in the book: a) the ideas of Zhuangzi or his disciples; b) a "primitivist" strain of thinking
similar to Laozi in chapters 8-10 and the first half of chapter 11; c) a strain very strongly represented in
chapters 28-31 which is attributed to the philosophy of Yang Chu; and d) a fourth strain which may be
related to the philosophical school of Huang-Lao.[11] In this spirit, Martin Palmer wrote that "trying to read
Chuang Tzu sequentially is a mistake. The text is a collection, not a developing argument."[12]

Zhuangzi was renowned for his brilliant wordplay and use of parables to convey messages. His critiques of
Confucian society and historical figures are humorous and at times ironic.

Influence
Zhuangzi has influenced thinking far beyond East Asia. The German philosopher Martin Buber translated
his texts in 1910. In 1930, Martin Heidegger asked for Buber's translation of Zhuangzi after his Bremen
speech "On the Essence of Truth".[13] In order to explain his own philosophy, Heidegger read from chapter
17, where Zhuangzi says to the thinker Hui Shih:
 "Do you see how the fish are coming to the surface and swimming around as they please?
That's what fish really enjoy."

"You're not a fish," replied Hui Tzu, "so how can you say you know what fish really enjoy?"

Zhuangzi said: "You are not me, so how can you know I don't know what fish enjoy." 

The historian of ideas Dag Herbjørnsrud concludes: "It may therefore be difficult to say where the
philosophies of Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi end and where the most influential German thinking of the
twentieth century starts [...]"[14]

Biological evolution
In a passage in his writings, Zhuangzi described the transmutation of species.[15] In The Complete Works
Of Chuang Tzu, translated by Burton Watson it is stated that:

The seeds of things have mysterious workings. In the water they become Break Vine, on the
edges of the water they become Frog's Robe. If they sprout on the slopes they become Hill
Slippers. If Hill Slippers get rich soil, they turn into Crow's Feet. The roots of Crow's Feet turn
into maggots and their leaves turn into butterflies. Before long the butterflies are transformed
and turn into insects that live under the stove; they look like snakes and their name is Ch'u-t'o.
After a thousand days, the Ch'u-t'o insects become birds called Dried Leftover Bones. The
saliva of the Dried Leftover Bones becomes Ssu-mi bugs and the Ssu-mi bugs become
Vinegar Eaters. I-lo bugs are born from the Vinegar Eaters, and Huang-shuang bugs from
Chiu-yu bugs. Chiu-yu bugs are born from Mou-jui bugs and Mou-jui bugs are born from Rot
Grubs and Rot Grubs are born from Sheep's Groom. Sheep's Groom couples with bamboo
that has not sprouted for a long while and produces Green Peace plants. Green Peace plants
produce leopards and leopards produce horses and horses produce men. Men in time return
again to the mysterious workings. So all creatures come out of the mysterious workings and go
back into them again.[16]

The 20th century Chinese philosopher and essayist Hu Shih considered Zhuangzi a Chinese forerunner of
evolution.[15]

See also
Dream argument
Goblet word
Liezi
Tao Te Ching

Notes
a. Other romanizations include Zhuang Tze, Chuang Tsu, Chuang-tzu (/ˈdʒwɑːŋˈdzʌ/),[3]
Chouang-Dsi, Chuang Tse, and Chuangtze.

Citations
 1. "Zhou" (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/ 13. jhiblog (2017-02-15). "Global History of
zhou). Random House Webster's Ideas: A Sea for Fish on Dry Land" (https://j
Unabridged Dictionary. hiblog.org/2017/02/15/global-history-of-ide
2. "Zhuangzi" (https://www.collinsdictionary.c as-a-sea-for-fish-on-dry-land/). JHI Blog.
om/dictionary/english/zhuangzi). Collins Retrieved 2019-06-20.
English Dictionary. 14. Herbjørnsrud, Dag (2019-05-10). "Beyond
3. "Chuang-tzu" (http://www.dictionary.com/br decolonizing: global intellectual history
owse/chuang-tzu). Random House and reconstruction of a comparative
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. method". Global Intellectual History: 1–27.
4. "Daoism Series 23: 荘子 Zhuang Zi" (http doi:10.1080/23801883.2019.1616310 (http
s://doi.org/10.1080%2F23801883.2019.16
s://purplecloudinstitute.com/daoism-series-
荘子
23- -zhuang-zi/). Purple Cloud. 2020- 16310). ISSN 2380-1883 (https://www.worl
dcat.org/issn/2380-1883).
08-30. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
S2CID 166543159 (https://api.semanticsch
5. Mair (1994), p. xxxi-xxxiii. olar.org/CorpusID:166543159).
6. Ziporyn (2009), p. vii.
15. Shen, Tsing Song. (2015). Evolutionism
7. Horne (1917), pp. 397–398. through Chinese Eyes: Yan Fu, Ma Junwu
8. Kirkland (2004), pp. 33–34. and their Translations of Darwinian
9. Roth (1993), pp. 56–57. Evolutionism. ASIANetwork Exchange. 22
(1): 49–60.
10. Palmer (1996), p. xix.
11. Schwartz (1985), p. 216. 16. Watson, Burton. (1968). The Complete
Works of Chuang Tzu. New York:
12. Palmer (1996), p. x. Columbia University Press. pp. 195-196.

References
Ames, Roger T. (1991), 'The Mencian Concept of Ren Xing: Does it Mean Human Nature?'
in Chinese Texts and Philosophical Contexts, ed. Henry Rosemont, Jr. LaSalle, Ill.: Open
Court Press.
Ames, Roger T. (1998) ed. Wandering at Ease in the Zhuangzi. Albany: State University of
New York Press.
Bruya, Brian (translator). (2019). Zhuangzi: The Way of Nature. Princeton: Princeton
University Press. ISBN 9780691179742.
Chan, Wing-Tsit (1963). A Source Book In Chinese Philosophy (https://archive.org/details/so
urcebookinchin00chan). USA: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01964-9.
Chang, Chung-yuan (1963). Creativity and Taoism: A Study of Chinese Philosophy, Art, and
Poetry. New York: Julian Press.
Graham A.C, Chuang-Tzû, the seven inner chapters, Allen & Unwin, London, 1981
Chuang-tzu: The Inner Chapters and other Writings from the Book of Chuang-tzu
(London: Unwin Paperbacks, 1986)
Creel, Herrlee G. (1982). What is Taoism? : and other studies in Chinese cultural history.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-12047-3.
Hansen, Chad (2003). "The Relatively Happy Fish," Asian Philosophy 13:145-164.
Herbjørnsrud, Dag (2018). "A Sea for Fish on Dry Land (https://jhiblog.org/2017/02/15/global
-history-of-ideas-a-sea-for-fish-on-dry-land/)," the blog of the Journal of History of Ideas.
Horne, Charles F., ed. (1917). The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume
XII: Medieval China (https://archive.org/details/sacredbooksearly12hornuoft). New York:
Parke.
Kirkland, Russell (2004). Taoism: The Enduring Tradition. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-
0-415-26321-4.
 Mair, Victor H. (1994). Wandering on the Way: Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang
Tzu. New York: Bantam Books. ISBN 0-553-37406-0. (Google Books) (https://books.google.
com/books?id=dpFnYhV_ghIC)
Merton, Thomas. (1969). The Way of Chuang Tzu. New York: New Directions.
Palmer, Martin (1996). The Book of Chuang Tzu. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-019488-3.
Roth, H. D. (1993). "Chuang tzu 莊子
". In Loewe, Michael (ed.). Early Chinese Texts: A
Bibliographical Guide. Berkeley: Society for the Study of Early China; Institute of East Asian
Studies, University of California Berkeley. pp. 56–66. ISBN 1-55729-043-1.
Schwartz, Benjamin J. (1985). The World of Thought in Ancient China. Cambridge: Belknap
Press. ISBN 978-0-674-96191-3.
Waltham, Clae (editor). (1971). Chuang Tzu: Genius of the Absurd. New York: Ace Books.
Watson, Burton (1962). Early Chinese Literature (https://archive.org/details/earlychineselite0
000wats). New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231086714.
The complete work of Chuang Tzu, Columbia University Press, 1968
Watts, Alan with Huan, Al Chung-liang (1975). Tao: The Watercourse Way (https://archive.or
g/details/taowatercoursewa00watt_0). New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-394-73311-8.
Ziporyn, Brook (2009). Zhuangzi: The Essential Writings with Selections from Traditional
Commentaries Hackett Classics Series. Hackett Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60384-435-2.

External links
Zhuangzi (http://ctext.org/zhuangzi) Bilingual Chinese-English version (James Legge's
translation) - Chinese Text Project
The Zhuangzi "Being Boundless" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070107080906/http://www.
daoisopen.com/ZhuangziTranslation.html), Complete translation of Zhuangzi by Nina
Correa
Chuang Tzu at Taoism.net (https://taoism.net/tao/chuang-tzu/), Chuang Tzu's Stories and
Teachings - translations by Derek Lin
Zhuangzi (http://www.iep.utm.edu/z/zhuangzi.htm), The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Zhuangzi (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/zhuangzi/), Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Selection from The Zhuangzi (https://web.archive.org/web/20060219221611/http://acc6.its.br
ooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/chuangtz.html), translated by Patricia Ebrey
Chuang-tzu at Taopage.org (http://www.taopage.org/chuangtzu.html)
Zhuang Zi, chapter 1 (http://www.wfu.edu/~moran/zhexuejialu/Zhuang_Zi_chap_1.html)
Zhuang Zi, chapter 2 (http://www.wfu.edu/~moran/zhexuejialu/Zhuang_Zi_2.html)
James Legge Complete Translation In English (http://oaks.nvg.org/chuang.html) The Legge
translation of the complete Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi) updated
Works by Zhuang Zhou (https://librivox.org/author/12480) at LibriVox (public domain
audiobooks)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zhuang_Zhou&oldid=1072951414"

This page was last edited on 20 February 2022, at 08:00 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0;

additional terms may apply. By
using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.