Zhuang Zhou (/uˈɑːŋ ˈ/),[1] commonly known as Zhuangzi (/ˈwɑːŋˈdzʌ/;[2] Chinese: 莊子; literally "Master Zhuang"; also rendered in the Wade–Giles romanization as Chuang Tzu),[a] was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States period, a period of great development in 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 two foundational texts of Taoism, alongside the Tao Te Ching.

Zhuangzi (莊子)
Zhuang Zhou (莊周)
Bornc. 369 BC
Diedc. 286 BC (aged c. 82 – 83)
Notable workZhuangzi
EraAncient philosophy
RegionEastern philosophy
School
Zhuangzi
"Zhuangzi" in seal script (top), Traditional (middle), and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese莊子
Simplified Chinese庄子
Hanyu PinyinZhuāngzǐ
Literal meaning"Master Zhuang"
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhuāngzǐ
Bopomofoㄓㄨㄤ   ㄗˇ
Gwoyeu RomatzyhJuangtzyy
Wade–GilesChuang1 Tzu3
Yale RomanizationJwāngdž
IPA[ʈʂwáŋ.tsɹ̩̀]
Wu
RomanizationTzaõ-tzy
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationJōngjí
JyutpingZong1 zi2
IPA[tsɔŋ˥.tsi˧˥]
Southern Min
Tâi-lô
  • Tsong-tsú;
  • Tsng-tsú
Eastern Min
Fuzhou BUCCŏng-cṳ̄
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinesetʂjang-tzí
Old Chinese
Baxter–Sagart (2014)*[ts]raŋ tsәʔ
Zhuang Zhou
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Hanyu PinyinZhuāng Zhōu
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhuāng Zhōu
Bopomofoㄓㄨㄤ   ㄓㄡ
Gwoyeu RomatzyhJuang Jou
Wade–GilesChuang1 Chou1
Yale RomanizationJwāng Jōu
IPA[ʈʂwáŋ ʈʂóʊ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationJōng Jāu
JyutpingZong1 Zau1
IPA[tsɔŋ˥ tsɐw˥]
Southern Min
Tâi-lôTsong Tsiu
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinesetʂjang tʃjuw
Old Chinese
Baxter–Sagart (2014)*[ts]raŋ tiw

Life

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The only account of the life of Zhuangzi is a brief sketch in chapter 63 of Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian,[3] and most of the information it contains seems to have simply been drawn from anecdotes in the Zhuangzi itself.[4] In Sima's biography, he is described as a minor official from the town of Meng (in modern Anhui) in the state of Song, living in the time of King Hui of Liang and King Xuan of Qi (late fourth century BC).[5] Sima Qian writes that Zhuangzi was especially influenced by Laozi, and that he turned down a job offer from King Wei of Chu, because he valued his personal freedom.[6]

His existence has been questioned by Russell Kirkland, who asserts that "there is no reliable historical data at all" for Zhuang Zhou, and that most of the available information on the Zhuangzi comes from its third-century commentator, Guo Xiang.[7]

Writings

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Zhuangzi is traditionally credited as the author of at least part of the work bearing his name, the Zhuangzi.[8] This work, in its current shape consisting of 33 chapters, is traditionally divided into three parts: the first, known as the "Inner Chapters", consists of the first seven chapters; the second, known as the "Outer Chapters", consist of the next 15 chapters; the last, known as the "Mixed Chapters", consist of the remaining 11 chapters. The meaning of these three names is disputed: according to Guo Xiang, the "Inner Chapters" were written by Zhuangzi, the "Outer Chapters" written by his disciples, and the "Mixed Chapters" by other hands; the other interpretation is that the names refer to the origin of the titles of the chapters—the "Inner Chapters" take their titles from phrases inside the chapter, the "Outer Chapters" from the opening words of the chapters, and the "Mixed Chapters" from a mixture of these two sources.[9]

Further study of the text does not provide a clear choice between these alternatives. On the one side, as Martin Palmer points out in the introduction to his translation, two of the three chapters Sima Qian cited in his biography of Zhuangzi, come from the "Outer Chapters" and the third from the "Mixed Chapters". "Neither of these are allowed as authentic Chuang Tzu chapters by certain purists, yet they breathe the very spirit of Chuang Tzu just as much 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 Zhu; 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 a original form of gōng'àn (Chinese: 公案) or parables to convey messages. His critiques of Confucian society and historical figures are humorous and at times ironic.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Other romanizations include Zhuang Tze, Chuang Tsu, Chuang-tzu, Chouang-Dsi, Chuang Tse, and Chuangtze.

Citations

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  1. ^ "Zhou". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
  2. ^ "Chuang-tzu". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
  3. ^ "Daoism Series 23: 荘子 Zhuang Zi". Purple Cloud. 2020-08-30. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  4. ^ Mair (1994), p. xxxi-xxxiii.
  5. ^ Ziporyn (2009), p. vii.
  6. ^ Horne (1917), pp. 397–398.
  7. ^ Kirkland (2004), pp. 33–34.
  8. ^ Klein (2010), pp. 306–309.
  9. ^ Roth (1993), pp. 56–57.
  10. ^ Palmer (1996), p. xix.
  11. ^ Schwartz (1985), p. 216.
  12. ^ Palmer (1996), p. x.

References

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