Zhūang Zi (py), Chuang Tzu (W-G), or Chuang Tse (Chinese 莊子, literally meaning "Master Zhuang") was a famous philosopher in ancient China who lived around the 4th century BC during the Warring States Period, corresponding to the Hundred Schools of Thought philosophical summit of Chinese thought. He was from the Town of Meng (蒙城 Méng chéng) in the State of Song (now Shāngqiū 商邱, Henan). His given name was 周 Zhōu. He was also known as 蒙吏, Méng Official, 蒙莊 Méng Zhuang and 蒙叟 Méng Elder.
The Taoist book Zhuangzi (莊子) of the same name is a composite of writings from various sources. The traditional view is that Zhuang Zi himself wrote the first several chapters (the "inner" chapters) and his students and related thinkers were responsible for the other parts (the "outer" and "miscellaneous" chapters). Strong proof of direct authorship by Zhuang Zi of any of the text is difficult.
One of the book's most famous passages is usually referred to as "Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly" (莊周夢蝶 Zhuāng Zhōu mèng dié) from the chapter "On Arranging Things" (alternatively, "Discussion of Setting Things Right" or--perhaps most appropriately, "Discussion on Making All Things Equal" (Watson translation); 齊物論 qí wù lùn, the second chapter of the book). The idiom originates from the event that one night, Zhuangzi dreamed that he was a carefree butterfly flying happily. After he woke up, he wondered how he could distinguish being Zhuang Zi who had just finished dreaming he was a butterfly and a butterfly who had just started dreaming he was Zhuang Zi. It hints at many questions in the philosophy of mind, philosophy of language and epistemology, such as Descartes' famous question of how one knows one exists. The name of the passage has become a common idiom.
In general, Zhuang Zi's philosophy is rather antinomian, arguing that our life is limited and things to know are unlimited. To use the limited to pursue the unlimited, he said, was foolish. Our language, cognition, etc. are all biased with our own perspective so we should be hesitant in concluding that our our conclusions are equally right for all things (wanwu). Zhuangzi's thought can also be considered a precursor of multiculturalism and pluralism of systems of value. His pluralism even leads him to doubt the basis of pragmatic arguments (that a course of action preserves our lives) since this presupposes that life is good and death bad. In the fourth section of "The Great Happiness" (至樂 zhi4le4, the 18th chapter of the book), Zhuang Zi expresses pity to a skull he sees lying at the side of the road. Zhuangzi laments that the skull is now dead, but the skull retorts, "How do you know it's bad to be dead?" In another example, again from "On Arranging Things," one person points out to another that there is no universal standard of beauty:
Mao Qiang and Li Ji [two beautiful courtesans] are what people consider
beautiful, but if fish see them they will swim into the depths; if birds see them,
they will fly away into the air; if deer see them, they will gallop away. Among
these four, who knows what is rightly beautiful in the world?
However, this subjectivism is balanced with a kind of sensitive holism in the conclusion of this well-known debate called "What Fish Enjoy" (魚之樂,py yu2zhi1le4):
Chuang Tzu and Hui Tzu were strolling along the dam of the Hao River when Chuang
Tzu said, "See how the minnows come out and dart around where they please! That's
what fish really enjoy!"
-- Hui Tzu said, "You're not a fish - how do you know what fish enjoy?"
-- Chuang Tzu said, "You're not I, so how do you know I don't know what fish enjoy?"
-- Hui Tzu said, "I'm not you, so I certainly don't know what you know. On the other
hand, you're certainly not a fish - so that still proves you don't know what fish
enjoy!"
-- Chuang Tzu said, "Let's go back to your original question, please. You asked me
how I know what fish enjoy - so you already knew I knew it when you asked the
question. I know it by standing here beside the Hao."
(Section XVII Autumn Floods, tr. Burton Watson)
Zhuang Zi's philosophy was very influential on the development of Chinese Buddhism, especially Chan, and Zen which evolved out of Chan. The book published is said to be one of the deepest in thoughts and stand as an achievement of Chinese poetical essays. Using Chinese language in its tightest specificities, it is almost impossible to translated. Howerver, some sinologists have challenged. Most scholars agree that the one of Burton Watson is a reference.
