Guarding the Pure Land of the Heart—A Comparison of Outlooks on Life in Walden and Zhuangzi

Zhuangzi is the masterpiece of Zhuangzi, and Walden is the masterpiece of Henry David Thoreau. This paper intends to study the similarities of Zhuangzi's and Thoreau's outlooks on life by analyzing Thoreau's origin with Taoism and the absorption from Taoism in Walden. By making a large amount of analysis and comparison of the texts in these two works, the paper comes to such a conclusion: both Thoreau and Zhuangzi advocate to simplify people's material life and to seek voluntary poverty; they are willing to enjoy the solitude and pursue the spiritual independence and freedom; they prefer to return to nature, live harmoniously with nature and therefore reach the realm of"unity of heaven and humanity". They pay more attention to human existence and their spiritual state. In the complicated modern society, people devote themselves to seeking a materially rich life. However, they do not attach enough importance to spiritual richness. As a result, the whole human society is facing a serious spiritual crisis in modern times. Thoreau's and Zhuangzi's outlooks on life can lead people to go through various difficulties of life and guard the pure land of the heart.

The Spirit of Zhuangzi and Chinese Utopian Imagination

Through examining Zhou Zuoren＇s ideal of new village and Lin Yutang＇s novel Unexpected lsland, this article analyzes modem Chinese utopian imaginations inspired by Zhuangzi＇s spirit, which complements what has been lacking in the modem utopian dream--individual spiritual liberation that resists any despotism of humanity and a more tolerant and multifaceted cultural mentality that fights against the unification of thought.

Zhuangzi Belongs to the World（Ⅰ）

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Zhuangzi Belongs to the World(Ⅱ)

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To Die or Not to Die： Zhuangzi＇s Three Immortalities

While it is known that the problem of death is a central topic animating the author/s of the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi, leading Chinese and Western interpretations of this Chinese classic have usually focused much more on other themes and aspects. Even more problematic in the author＇s view is the fact that the Zhuangzi has been closely associated with one death philosophy, the set of concepts, arguments and figures present in chapter 6. This study puts death back at the very center of the Zhuangzian philosophical project yet insisting at the same time on the difficulties of defending one philosophy of death since different passages introduce new concepts, imagery, nuances and perspectives. The Zhuangzi＇s focus on death is being situated within a discussion of the ＂immortality＂ ideal--accepting a total death （＂to die＂） or find refuge in immortality ideals （＂not to die＂）. Different passages from the Inner Chapters are being presented as proposing three distinct immortality projects or strategies--personal, social and cosmic--to address the problem of death. E. Becker＇s reflections on the challenge of mortality and the psychological need of a ＂beyond＂ in order to cope with the consciousness of death provide the basic theoretical framework underlying the discussion of the Zhuangzi in this essay.

The Tradition of Emotive Writing in the Zhuangzi and Its Echoes in Later Generations

As the concluding part of a series of essays on theories of humanity in the Zhuangzi, this essay aims at describing the theme of qing＇t （emotion） as a dual-directional attitude towards qing as a partner to xing ＇ （nature） and the influence of this domain of thought on later generations and their continued discussion of it. Faced with a forcible divorce of qing and xing at the hand of Han Dynasty Ruists, which would lock perceptions into a rigid dualist framework, the Wei and Jin period saw authors such as Wang Bi and Ji Kang return to a more faithful rendering of the theme of qing in the classics, the Laozi and Zhuangzi, seeing it become an ever more explicit philosophical topic and beginning a lengthy period of discussion of the theme of qing. In the Northern Song period, representative thinkers Zhang Zai and Wang Anshi The Northern Song tradition constitute a continuance of Pre-Qin Daoist philosophical ideas, providing a logical reinterpretation of the indivisibility of qing and xing from a syncretist approach to the Daoist and Ruist traditions, in a way that drastically differs from the Southern Song preference for xing at the cost of qing, as represented by thinkers such as the Brothers Cheng and Zhu Xi. At the bottom of it, this continued tradition draws from themes that appear in the Zhuangzi, a holistic approach to life and the relationship between humanity and nature, an important and continuous thread in the fabric of human civilisation.

The Spatiality of Cognition in the Zhuangzi

In this paper I explore the conception of cognition and action found in the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi. More specifically, I focus on the role of explicit and implicit spatial imagery in the context of this complex problem. Spatial imagery suggests that cognition is understood as fundamentally bimodal in the text： （1） the default modality, which is informed by an entrenched distinction pattern, is cast in terms of fullness and bulk; and （2） the auxiliary modality, which is free from this kind of constraint, is imagined in terms of emptiness and lack of bulk, as an axis or point. The latter is the preferred mode of engagement with the environment, according to the Zhuangzi. Spatial imagery brings out the crucial characteristics of this cognitive modality： its radical openness and infinite fecundity in the context of distinction-drawing and action. It also connects with other metaphorical schemata at work in the text, including organic imagery. Interestingly, the notion of emptiness and the figure of an axis do not mark an experience of undifferentiated oneness but the state of heightened sensitivity to the makeup of one＇s environment. Such sensitivity allows the agent to entertain the situation at hand without bias and to move around （relatively） conflict-free.

The Face/Facelessness of the Other-A Levinasian Reading of the Ethical of the Zhuangzi

Emmanuel Levinas＇ ethical phenomenology offers a new understanding of what constitutes the core issue of ethics. For Levinas, the word ＂ethics＂ i,eeomes a question about the ＂wholly Other,＂ the entity that challenges the self-qua-being, thus diverging from the traditional ontological framework of Being in the West, that is, sameness or totality. At first glance, Zhuangzi seems to have little in common with Levinas： The former irreverently mocks all moral principles and ethical norms whereas the latter takes ethics as first philosophy; the former speaks of the faceless as the model of Daoist authenticity whereas the latter speaks of the face as the symbol of moral obligation. Nevertheless, there are plenty of chapters in the Zhuangzi which illustrate how a self-being experiences a profound transfiguration through its encounter with the Other, a constellation which resonates with Levinas＇ theme. In this paper, the issue ofrelationality in the Zhuangzi will be analyzed in light of Levinas＇ espousal of alterity, with the purpose of explicating the Daoist appropriation of what I will call ＂the philosophy of difference.＂ I will submit the argument that the Zhuangzian notion of freedom and the Daoist conception of a well-lived life are both based upon this philosophy of difference. I will also argue that Daoist ethics, particularly the version expressed by the Zhuangzi, is best understood as a form of＂negative ethics.＂

Authenticity in the Zhuangzi？ Contemporary Misreadings of Zhen 真 and an Alternative to Existentialism

This essay reviews the Zhuangzian notion of zhen 真, often through the text＇s advancement of the zhenren 真人 （＂genuine person,＂ ＂true person＂） or zhenzhi 真知 （＂genuine knowledge,＂ ＂true knowledge＂）. Contemporary scholarship, in both Chinese and English, often presents zhen as analogous to the existentialist theory of authenticity, which correspondingly reflects on interpretations of the ＂self,＂ and thereby the zhen person. Much of the Zhuangzi is a reaction to the Lunyu, including an ironic response to the Confucian cultivation project. If we establish our interpretation of the ＂self＂ against this background then we find that zhen in the Zhuangzi is actually used to argue against the Confucian identification of the person and self through social roles or conventions. However, advocating zhen does not suggest that there is some essential or core ＂self＂ to refer to; instead, it implies a na^tral state of responsiveness where the person acts efficaciously by being in line with what is obvious or affirmed in the situation. This essay thereby presents a reading of zhen that is historically and culturally consistent, and sets up the Zhuangzi as an alternative, and not an echo, to some of the major issues dealt with by the existentialist movement.

On Pillowing One＇s Skull： Zhuangzi and Heidegger on Death

Martin Heidegger famously declares that Dasein does not perish but experiences its demise, and that death stands before us as something to be anticipated. This idea of being-towards-death is an anticipation of possibility, of becoming authentically free for one＇s death. If we take Heidegger＇s view of death and compare it to that of the Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi, we notice that the latter also holds death in an unusual light. For Zhuangzi, death is possibility not because it symbolizes the perfection of being but insofar as it reveals its entanglements. This paper will thus argue in support of the Daoist notion that death is neither to be feared nor does it serve as the end of one＇s contribution to the world. It will also take the stance that death qua nothingness is both a corporeal and metaphorical embodiment of Dao in that death and nothingness reflect the natural praxis of Dao to be still, empty, and quiet. In order to facilitate our analysis, we will focus on the story of Zhuangzi and the roadside skull, a story that has Zhuangzi pillowing said skull from which he realizes that life is but a pillowing of death.

A Couple Nagging Interpretive Difficulties in Zhuangzi Studies vis-à-vis William James on the Ethics and Psychology of Belief

The present article addresses two lingering questions in the interpretation of the Zhuangzi莊子—(a)How can one reconcile the scepticism of the Zhuangzi with its positive project(s)?and(b)Who can become a sagely person?The questions are addressed with reference to aspects of William James’accounts of the ethics and psychology of belief.

ChatGPT视域下的知识限度与积极物化:从庄周出发的思考

ChatGPT可以被看成是一个“自本自根”的世界模型。在其内部的神经网络之中,似乎存在一个道家所强调的道。然而,从《庄子·知北游》中的两段经典对话中我们获得的新启示是,ChatGPT所表达的那些可言说的知识未必是真实可靠的知识。同时,使用者与ChatGPT的对话往往会演变为一方对另一方的臣服或对抗,而日常生活中的多人对话往往可以提供一种对结论的开放性。大模型的无限知识同样存在进一步的进化空间。与ChatGPT相比,GPT-4明显知道了自己知识的限度。目前的大模型框架更多是一种普遍性框架,其对问题的回答往往是通用性的解释,而进化的方向恰恰是要增加向量数据库。知识限度的意义就在于要回到多样性本身。人类对大模型的有待使用,最终会产生无待焦虑。换言之,当外在依赖变成内在依赖的时候,人们就会产生无待焦虑。这种无待焦虑最终会演化为后人类焦虑。破除这些焦虑的关键,同样需要在庄周思想中挖掘。这种积极物化的关键是,放低身段,将自己置于一个与物平等的角度,向物学习,格物致知,最终达到物我两忘的真人之境。从庄周丧我的角度可以更加接近物我两忘,其最终可能会帮助人类进入人机和谐相处的两行世界。

名实难副——从《庄子》“内七篇”看庄子的语言游戏及解构策略

解构作为一种古老的智慧并非德里达专有。天然解构大师庄子在《庄子》“内七篇”里以自由游戏的姿态切断了语言确定性的根基,并假借一群“名不副实”之人在“名”与“实”间进行自由游戏,从而揭露了“名”与“实”、能指与所指之间的矛盾和不一致。这一东方解构范例在传统庄子诠释学之外为我们提供了一个活泼且具有现代意义的庄子形象。同时,庄子对名言枷锁的解构,也使得儒道精神大放异彩,揭开了中国古代文化哲学儒道兼宗的序幕。

从“德”到“德友”:《庄子·德充符》中的伦常重建

《德充符》之“至德”既有“虚”而不“实”的内在特征,亦有因“虚”而“实”的外在效应。这种外在效应有两种表现:一是常人以至德者为“师”,也即“以德为师”;二是常人因至德者而为“友”,也即“因德为友”(“德友”)。尽管“以德为师”更本源、更高妙,然而,王骀、伯昏无人、哀骀它等至德者在《德充符》中的隐身或退让却使得“因德为友”成为一条显在而具体的伦常重建之方。“因德为友”这种居于上位者的自我开悟,有助于弱化世俗伦常关系中等级结构与权力意志的规训与侵害,从而为人与人之间的互动、互化、互成奠定了对等的伦理基础。

列子对道家思想承启作用的贡献探析

列子是人类文明轴心时代中原核心区诞生的重要思想家,是道家学派从老子到庄子延伸时期的重要人物。列子承继了老子的道论思想。他沿用老子“谷神”“玄牝”等概念,生动地解析了“道”生天地万物的机理。列子下启庄子,为庄子提供了发扬光大道家思想的标尺、富有启发的思想素材、理论创造灵感以及寓言这种表达思想的艺术形式。列子思想的特色可以简要概括为以下三个方面:一是达观且具有人间烟火气的人生观;二是具有现实价值的技艺崇拜思想;三是具有值得重新估量的重要文化地位。列子“郑之圃泽多贤,东里多才”的箴言,足以与湖湘文化中“惟楚有才,于斯为盛”相媲美。列子愚公移山的寓言也被中国共产党第七次全国代表大会闭幕词所引用,是革命精神的重要资源,也是中原学人在新时代增强文化自信、为创造培育中华民族现代文明作出新的贡献的精神动力。

方以智与晦山戒显的青原之会

康熙五年(1666),晦山在青原山净居寺拜会了方以智。方以智非常兴奋,给予了极其热情的接待。晦山戒显对此感动不已,遂赋诗一首,记录下了自己的兴奋之情。方以智与晦山谈及自己的著作《药地炮庄》,晦山为之作序,给予高度评价。可以说,晦山戒显与药地愚者方以智青原之会具有多方面的文化意蕴。

儒道之间:庄子的学派归属问题刍议

在中国哲学史上,庄子是唯一一个既被视为道家,又被看作儒家的命世大哲。作为道家的庄子出于西汉学者的建构,作为儒家的庄子源自郭象一系儒家学者的建构。尽管这两种思想史建构均非先秦之旧,却都言之成理,并能在《庄子》中找到一些文本证据。庄子之所以既可以是道家,又可以是儒家,根源在于其思想渊源的丰富性、思想形态的开放性、语言表达的自由性、文本衍变的复杂性,这些特征使得庄学呈现出一副“浑沌”样态,具备极强的可塑性。对于“无家可归”的庄子哲学而言,道家与儒家在凸显其某种特质的同时,也在遮蔽乃至破坏着庄学自身的纯粹性与开放性。在此意义上,居于“儒道之间”的庄子哲学的独特性更值得珍视。

《语海》收录源自《庄子》的成语考论

《语海》收录成语、谚语、惯用语、歇后语等各类汉语语汇共86000余条,是一部综合性大型语文工具书,截然不同于以往分类收录汉语成语、谚语、惯用语、歇后语的专科词典。《庄子》是先秦道家哲学和诸子散文的代表性著作,其思想博大精深,非常富有哲理性,其语言生动精彩,非常富有表现力,因此后世有1259条成语源自《庄子》,在先秦诸子著作中可谓首屈一指。《语海》收录了619条源自《庄子》的成语,在主条、副条设置,原文引用、注音、训释,书证列举等方面有其优点和特色,但是也还存在一些不足之处和需要进一步讨论的地方。对《语海》收录源自《庄子》的成语进行统计、分类和考论,可以由小及大,由点到面,探讨语文综合类工具书编纂需要关注和解决的训诂学、语汇学的理论与实践问题。

庄禅哲思及其在城市休闲空间中的实践

庄禅作为一种独特的哲学思想,讲究顺应自然、天人合一,其核心要义在于追求生命自由与精神自由。庄禅思想对于今天休闲空间的建造有诸多启示。文章从庄禅的基本内涵、庄禅哲思及其在艺术领域的“庄言禅影”、庄禅哲思及其在休闲空间中的运用宗旨三方面阐释了庄禅思想对于休闲空间的建筑美学原则与观念的重要意义。并从具体的典范休闲空间案例印证其可行性,希望为当今休闲空间的设计与建设提供一种可资借鉴的新思路。

《庄子·齐物论》“彼是莫得其偶”的涵义及现代价值

《齐物论》是《庄子》中极其重要的篇章,从篇名到具体内容无不蕴含着丰富的哲学思想,其中“彼是莫得其偶”是一个很重要的命题,是实现“吾丧我”境界的重要环节,理解这一命题的关键在于对“彼是”的理解。“彼是”既不是“彼此”,也不是“是非”,而是“彼此”“是非”,“彼此”即“是非”。“彼是莫得其偶”有去自我中心主义和去人类中心主义两方面价值。