Pocket Version -- World Literature Collection -- Zhuangzi

Author: Zhuangzi (Warring States Period), translated and compiled by Hu Zhongping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-04-01
Features: Zhuangzi was a great philosopher, thinker, and litterateur of the pre-Qin period in China. His philosophy is grand, profound, and subtle; his thoughts are unrestrained and innovative; his literature is boundless and versatile. The book Zhuangzi is primarily the work of Zhuangzi and his followers, with a total of thirty-three chapters, divided into seven Inner Chapters, fifteen Outer Chapters, fifteen Miscellaneous Chapters, and eleven additional Miscellaneous Chapters. It inherits from Laozi and paves the way for Huainanzi, making it a major work in Taoism. The influence of Zhuangzi and his writings on later generations is both profound and complex. Therefore, to understand Chinese philosophy, one must read Zhuangzi, and to understand Chinese literature, one must also read Zhuangzi. Zhuangzi's impact on Chinese society is very profound and complex. His theory of the Dao deepens the metaphysical doctrine of Chinese philosophy after Laozi, contributing to the enhancement of the thinking ability of the Chinese nation. His discussions on freedom and equality in the world transcend worldly concepts and daily consciousness, and this mystical transcendence, compared to the transcendence of Western religion, appears theoretically more profound. His views on life and death help people overcome the fear and anxiety of death, providing intellectual resources for the formation of the Chinese secular tradition in later generations. His theories on social, political, and cultural issues have progressive significance in resisting autocratic systems and class oppression, and they also hold enduring value for humanity to correct its cultural biases and eliminate alienation. Of course, Zhuangzi also contains many internal contradictions, especially its discussions on anarchism, which merely reflect the mystical fantasies of a recluse.