Zhuangzi

Mengzi and Zhuangzi are both ancient Chinese philosophers. Although they lived in a similar time, their views can be radically different. Mengzi was highly influenced by Confucius, and as a result, his work is highly important in Confucian tradition. We don’t know much about Zhuangzi’s life, in comparison, and although Zhuangzi and Mengzi are practically contemporaries, there is no historical proof of them communicating. Mengzi is most well-known for his theory on human nature, but Zhuangzi has…

to wonder. Coming into the term, I didn’t have a great answer to this question. However, after reading Zhuangzi, Camus, and Sartre, I have developed a better thesis as to why life is worthwhile. Zhuangzi has shown that there is this notion of an effortless action. We, as human beings, have this tendency to become so indulged, so focused, on this one action that we lose our sense of being;…

This literary study will define the importance of spiritual enlightenment and the teacher/student relationship in the philosophy of Zhuangzi and the Buddhist spiritualism/evanescence of The Tale of the Genji by Murasaki Shikibu. In Zhuangzi’s Taoist philosophy, the meaning of existence was relative to the person perceiving the ever-changing point of view of the observer, as defined in the dialogue between Hui Tzu and Chuang Tzu. This form of enlightenment provided a way to understand the…

Easy Wandering is an chapter excerpt from the classic Chinese piece of literature Zhuangzi written by Zhuang Zhou. Written in the Third Century B.C.E. , Master Zhuang wrote during the Warring States period. Free and Easy Wandering is the first of seven in Zhuangzi,with almost all the chapters containing fables and allegories relating a broader message to the reader. Along with the contemporary writing Laozi, Zhuangzi was one of the earliest texts to contribute to the philosophy that has come to…

A being known as 'the sage' is often mentioned in the writings of Chinese Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi. The sage is represented as a divine ideal — a being who expresses the ultimate wisdom, yet physically, is a human being. According to Zhuangzi, the perspective of a sage is embodied by a divine acceptance in the inherent subjectivity if all things; or in other words, rejecting to choose a single perspective and in doing so allowing all perspectives to coexist in their own 'rightness'. This must…

1. Introduction Zhuangzi is a Chinese philosopher that was able to use the concept of relativism to push the limitations of words and its meanings. By pushing the boundaries of language, he was able to encourage a life that is free from society’s restrictive norms. Zhuangzi’s sage is a person that no longer lives according to ethical ideals but lives according to spiritual ideals. Once a person becomes a sage, his spirit is able to roam freely in Dao as his spirit is no longer restrained within…

Eastern culture focuses on getting over your friends and family’s death. My first thought when I was taught this was, “Wow we’re selfish.”. I then read Dr. Olberding’s Other People Die, which taught me that It might just be more about Confucius and Zhuangzi viewed their friends and family. As I read these individuals works and mulled over their thoughts, I began to form my own opinion on the topic. I eventually came to the conclusion…

November 18, 2017 Happiness Through Virtue Aristotle asserts that an ideal life culminates in life through living virtuously. In his famous piece of literature, Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle defines happiness and how it is achieved. In a similar style Zhuangzi and Plato reveal the meaning of happiness through their works of literature and how it is achieved. All three have similar ideas of happiness and what it means, but what differs is how happiness is attained and approached. In Nicomachean…

The Divine Knowledge in Chinese Religions Youteng Bi In no matter what religious traditions the discussion of divine knowledge is always an important topic, for it concerns the questions about the power of the divine. The discussion of the power of the divine often influences believers’ faith. In Abrahamic traditions, the discussion of the divine knowledge directly relates to the mighty of the God, thus many theologians in history devoted themselves to develop systematic theories on divine…

Justice and humanity, became the objects of manipulation, fueling the criticism of Confucianism in the Zhuangzi. Taoists at this point considered Confucianism a deviation from the real Path and considered it an encouragement of living a spiritually empty…