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Ryan Denson

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Ryan Denson is currently reading

The Raven Scholar (Eternal Path Trilogy, #1)

by Antonia Hodgson (Goodreads Author)

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Apr 25, 2026 08:30AM

Ryan Denson is currently reading

The Complete Works of Zhuangzi (Translations from the Asian Classics)

by Burton Watson

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Reading for the 2nd time

read in April 2021

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Ryan Denson said: " "The fish trap exists because of the fish; once you've gotten the fish, you can forget the trap. Words exist because of meaning; once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can have a "The fish trap exists because of the fish; once you've gotten the fish, you can forget the trap. Words exist because of meaning; once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words so I can have a word with him?"

"What the ordinary world calls a wise man is in fact someone who has piled things up for the benefit of a great thief, is he not?"

Delightfully encased within paradoxical twists and turns, the works attributed to Zhuangzi are a staple of Daoism and Chinese philosophy. Watson's translation includes all 33 chapters, comprising what is conventionally segmented as the "inner," "outer," and "miscellaneous" chapters. The introduction written by Watson serves to helpfully summarize the issues of textual transmission, historical contexts, and broad themes. In particular, he points out the philosophical friction between Daoism and Confucianism. Although the former emerged at least partially in opposition to the latter, they have been traditionally come to be thought of as complementary philosophies, frequently studied together as dueling responses to issues of life and society.

The text itself is a lovely read owing in no small part also to Watson's crisp and plainspoken translation style. The format of these works is comprised of primarily anecdotal stories that are rarely extend beyond a couple of pages in this translation. The central theme (if there can be said to be such a thing) is the Daoist interest in nature (habitually phrased here as "heaven") and the ineffable that is embodied the Dao and the Ten Thousand Things. This turn towards nature (and what is sometimes depicted as a return to "ancient times" predating the contemporary customs) and contemplative life is put forth as a remedy to many ills, both for individuals and society at large, as well as an alternative to Confucianism, Mohism, and Legalism. At times, the anecdotes seem to even turn a critical eye upon the earlier Daoist tradition of Laozi, emphasizing the need to live within and a part of the contemporary society, despite its harms. The text's uncompromisingly critical nature though is matched with a simplistic and down to earth tone, frequently making use of humor and irony to draw on its larger philosophical points. Deliberate paradoxes and seemingly intentional absurdities abound between anecdotes (sometimes within a single anecdote) forcefully serve to emphasize the Daoist principle concerning the unknowability of knowledge. Though the text repeats many names and characters, these are not even consistent, perhaps intentionally so as a technique to dance around reader's expectations. One of the most striking examples is Robber Zhi, an archetypal "bad guy" of ancient Chinese mythology, who appears in some places as a malicious thief, while in the extended dialogue between him and Confucius in chapter 29 he acts as a proponent of Daoist principles. The text further distinguishes itself from claim of many western philosophical and religious traditions to "contain all the answers." That is not the point of Zhuangzi's works at all and the evasive and self-contradictory style (further complicated by uncertainties in the transmission and authorship of the received version) can hardly allow for such a grandiose claim.

Zhuangzi's works can perhaps better be thought of as anecdotes that raise questions and contradictions to ponder, rather than offering clear cut solutions or guides. Much of this can be reframed in modern terms as the debates over the nature and nurture, tensions between individuality and social customs, struggles with mortality, defining good and evil, questions of ontology, and epistemology. Although many customs and traditions mentioned within such stories will be particular to ancient Chinese society, these underlying philosophical and psychological concerns will be familiar to most readers. The human emotions behind the characters also serve as relatable and enduring elements. Overall, it is certainly a worthwhile read and the anecdotal format allows such a work with its all its depth to be more manageable. It is perhaps one that is best read slowly, story by story, in order to really grasp the complexity that each short anecdote embodies. ...more "

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(page 287 of 368)
— Apr 01, 2021 11:58PM

Apr 03, 2021 03:51AM · see review

Ryan’s Quotes

“People aren't rational. We're not thinking machines, we're - we're feeling machines that happen to think.”
― Peter Watts, Blindsight

tags: blindsight, humanity, nature

141 likes

“How much truth is contained in something can be best determined by making it thoroughly laughable and then watching to see how much joking around it can take. For truth is a matter that can withstand mockery, that is freshened by any ironic gesture directed at it. Whatever cannot withstand satire is false.”
― Peter Sloterdijk, Critique of Cynical Reason

tags: irony, parody, reasoning

81 likes