Chuang-Tzu: A New Selected Translation with an Exposition of the Philosophy of Kuo Hsiang

by Zhuangzi

This book reprints an ancient Chinese work from the late Warring States period (3rd century BC) that contains stories and anecdotes exemplifying the carefree nature of the ideal Taoist sage. Chuang Tzu’s philosophy represents the main current of Taoist teachings, and his text is widely regarded as both deeply insightful and a great achievement in the Chinese poetical essay form. The version presented was translated by Feng Yu-lan, the famous Chinese philosopher, who puts more emphasis on Chuang Tzu’s philosophy than do previous attempts. William James once said that every great philosopher has a personal vision. When one has grasped that vision, the whole system can be easily understood. And Crocé once said that the greater a philosophical system is, the simpler the central idea. Although the present translation is limited to the first seven chapters of Chuang Tzu’s writings, it accurately conveys his main vision and ideas.

Genres: Philosophy

98 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 2015

About the author

庄子 or 莊子 Zhūangzi (c. 369 BC - c. 286 BC).
Zhuangzi, or “Master Zhuang” (also known in the Wade-Giles romanization as Chuang-tzu) was, after Laozi, one of the earliest thinkers to contribute to the philosophy that has come to be known as Daojia, or school of the Way. According to traditional dating, he was an almost exact contemporary of the Confucian thinker Mencius, but there appears to have been little to no communication between them. He is ranked among the greatest of literary and philosophical giants that China has produced. His style is complex—mythical, poetic, narrative, humorous, indirect, and polysemic.

Reviews

[Ran Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chuang-Tzu is the second most important scholar of Taoism.
His argument helped ordinary people of his time understand Taoism.
I believe that his idea and way of thinking helps people to live happily during the good and the bad.
His ideas have influenced the Chinese culture greatly and that's why I believe all who want to know the Chinese culture should read his works.

By the way, only the first 7 chapters are believed to be written by him.
The rest of book is generally believed written by people who wanted to mimic his writings.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the most interesting text on taoism that I've come across. It contains a heavy use of stories. Most, by themselves, are vague. With commentary and stretches at metaphors, they come to be more instructive and clear. Although we're now adding a layer of translation and interpretation resulting in something which may or may not have been originally implied.

As Chuang-Tzu was a leader in taoist philosophies, I looked for and read this book to expand the depth of my knowledge on taoism. It provided little in those terms. It did reiterate some of the common taoist principles. Although even those were mostly through the interpretation, vs the actual words of Chuang-Tzu.

There were a lot of stoic principles that were correlated with taoism in this book moreso than any other taoist text I've read so far. Some of the other common points were about perception and judgment. I particularly liked this quote, although I don't think it was from Chuang-Tzu but from an interpretor's take on something said:
"... everything has its particular fitness. Everything is useful in a certain way and useless in another."

This stuck out to me. Nature's way to teach is through experience. That which we find ourselves gaining experience typically stems from that which we are curious about. The mystery ... and the emptiness in our understanding.
"I learned it from writing, writing from learning, learning from understanding, understanding from maintaining, maintaining from application, application from enjoyment, enjoyment from mystery, mystery from namelessness, namelessness from infinity."

'Hegel said that the old man may utter the same creed as the child, but for him “it is pregnant with the significance of a lifetime.”'

[James Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just finished this translation of Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) by Fung Yu-lan (Feng Youlan) which includes an exposition of the philosophy of Kuo Hsiang. Professor Fung translated only the first seven "inner chapters" of the book Zhuangzi 《庄子》. I'm so glad to have known about Kuo Hsiang (Guo Xiang 郭象 (252? - 312) who wrote a "commentaries on Zhuangzi." I find Kuo Hsiang's interpretations wise and interesting. Don't forget to read the Appendices of this work beginning on page 57. It is one of the best sections of the book to me. I can see why people are still reading Zhuagzi all over the world some 2,300 years after he passed away. He traded a successful worldly life of an official and embraced an other-worldly existence and, in the process, showed people how to seek inner peace. I may never become a Taoist but I am glad I have read Zhuangzi.