Reading Zhuangzi

About the Topic

Laozi and Zhuangzi lie at the center of early Daoist thought and have had a lasting influence.

Entering the thought of these philosophers from two thousand years ago is not simple. The Zhuangzi’s distinctive language and style can make it especially difficult for modern readers. Its thinking involves more than quiet non-action: it also offers a rigorous form of philosophical reflection.

The debate above the Hao River in Autumn Floods is not mere sophistry; it can recall aspects of the analytical inquiries associated with Russell and Wittgenstein.

The transformations of Kun and Peng in Free and Easy Wandering may be less a picture of freedom attained than an inquiry into what prevents the mind from wandering freely.

Hui Shi, Zhuangzi’s lifelong interlocutor, is more than a comic foil in intellectual history. His thought is an important route into Zhuangzi’s.

In this session, we will consider:

— Zhuangzi’s rhetorical techniques, and what it means to grasp meaning and forget words;

— the central concerns of early Daoist thought and their intellectual setting;

— connections between modern experience and Daoist ideas.