Hong‐ki Lam. The State of the Field Report IX: Contemporary Chinese Studies of Zhuangzian Wang (Forgetting)
2023, Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy 22, 297–317
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, Contributed by: I Xuan ChongAbstract:
The use of the character wang 忘 (forgetting) in the Zhuangzi 莊子 has been widely recognized in traditional and contemporary Chinese scholarship, but its meaning remains unclear. This article reviews some notable studies in Sinophone academia concerning the notion of wang in the Zhuangzi. The studies, though not necessarily focused on wang, shed light on different aspects of the concept, including its relation to self-cultivation, aesthetics, ethics, and ontology. While some scholars see wang as a form of elimination, others stress its relation to other concepts such as shi 適 (fitting). The relation of these two concepts, however, is not yet clear. There are also debates over what makes wang possible, with some linking it to dao 道 and some directing our attention to our daily experience. Despite the limited attention paid to wang to date, the studies reviewed show that it is a crucial aspect of Zhuangzian philosophy and deserves further study.Wai Wai CHIU. The Debate over Xing in the Outer Chapters of the Zhuangzi2022, Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy 21, 549–567-
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, Contributed by: I Xuan ChongAbstract:
Contemporary discussions of xing are often inspired by the Confucian tradition, but recent studies have brought the Zhuangzi 莊子 to the table as a viable alternative. In this essay, I present three different accounts of xing 性 in the Outer Chapters: (1) the primitivists who emphasize body vitality and simple life, (2) the Huang-Lao 黃老 school that emphasizes the balance among different things and the overall cosmological order, and (3) skill stories that look at individual skill masters rather than people in general or the role of the human species in the cosmos, entertain only the descriptive dimension of xing, and cast doubt on the normative status of xing. These three accounts can be read as responding to each other, and each shares certain themes with the Inner Chapters in different ways. Together, they demonstrate the complexity of the Zhuangzi’s view on xing and complicate attempts of cross-textual comparison.Comment: Best read together with Kim-chong Chong's "Zhuangzi and the Issue of Human Nature". Prior knowledge of the Zhuangzi is helpful.
Kim‐chong Chong. Zhuangzi and the Issue of Human Nature2023, Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy 22, 237–254-
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, Contributed by: I Xuan ChongAbstract:
The issue of human nature or xing 性 was a major philosophical topic of the mid- and late-Warring States period of ancient China. It was famously discussed, for example, in the Mencius. Zhuangzi 莊子 lived around the same time as Mencius and one might expect that he, too, would have discussed it. Surprisingly, the term xing is absent from the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi. There have been different responses to this, namely, that Zhuangzi: used different terms equivalent to xing; believed that human nature is bad (despite not mentioning xing); was deliberately silent on xing as an oblique way of criticizing others such as Mencius. I review these claims and pro- vide an analysis of how xing was mainly conceptualized during the Warring States period in essentialist terms. I shall read Zhuangzi’s philosophy as transcending this conceptual framework. Instead of a theory of human nature, Zhuangzi provides sto- ries and descriptions of the different facets of human behavior and their psychologi- cal and other complexities. These often have an epistemic focus that stand indepen- dently of any theory of human nature.Comment: A useful discussion of Zhuangzi's views about human nature. Best read together with Wai Wai CHIU's "The Debate over Xing in the Outer Chapters of the Zhuangzi". Prior knowledge of the Zhuangzi is helpful.
Chen Guying. The Annotated Critical Laozi With Contemporary Explication and Traditional Commentary2020, Brill-
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, Contributed by: I Xuan ChongPublisher’s Note:
Chen Guying’s Laozi dissects different versions of the Laozi and provides close readings of traditional and contemporary commentaries, from Han Fei, Wang Bi, and Heshang Gong through to Shi Deqing, Xu Kangsheng and Ding Yuanzhi. This book completely changed Laozi studies in China, where serious student or scholar can ignore Chen’s amazing work. It is the standard interpretation of the Laozi at nearly every Chinese university.Comment: English translation of an often-cited commentary (originally written in Chinese) of the Laozi (with ancient commentaries)
Chen Guying. The Philosophy of Life: A New Reading of the Zhuangzi2016, Brill-
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, Contributed by: I Xuan ChongPublisher’s Note:
Chen Guying, one of the leading scholars on Daoism in contemporary China, provides in his book The Philosophy of Life, A New Reading of the Zhuangzi a detailed analysis and a unique interpretation of Zhuangzi’s Inner, Outer and Miscellaneous chapters. Unlike many other Chinese scholars Chen does not focus on a philological, but on a philosophical reading of the Zhuangzi highlighting the main topics of self-cultivation, aesthetics, and epistemology. Chen’s perspectives on the Zhuangzi range from the historical background of the Warring States Period to his own personal (political) experience. Since Chen is also a specialist on Nietzsche, he elaborates Zhuangzi’s philosophy of life and the idea of regulating one’s heart by drawing a parallel to Nietzsche’s perspectivism.Comment: This is an English translation of an often-cited commentary (originally written in Chinese) of the entire Zhuangzi.
Karyn Lai. “Early Daoist Philosophy: Dao, Language and Society”.2008, Chapter 6. In An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy. Cambridge University Press, 93-110.-
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, Contributed by: I Xuan ChongAbstract:
This chapter - taken from the first edition of An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy - presents a comprehensive introduction to key ideas and arguments in early Daoist philosophy.Comment: This introductory chapter offers a reliable and accessible interpretation of the Laozi.
Zhuangzi, trans. Richard John Lynn. Zhuangzi: A New Translation of the Sayings of Master Zhuang as Interpreted by Guo Xiang.2022, Columbia University Press-
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, Contributed by: I Xuan ChongPublisher’s Note:
The Zhuangzi (Sayings of Master Zhuang) is one of the foundational texts of the Chinese philosophical tradition and the cornerstone of Daoist thought. The earliest and most influential commentary on the Zhuangzi is that of Guo Xiang (265–312), who also edited the text into the thirty-three-chapter version known ever since. Guo’s commentary enriches readings of the Zhuangzi, offering keen insights into the meaning and significance of its pithy but often ambiguous aphorisms, narratives, and parables.Richard John Lynn’s new translation of the Zhuangzi is the first to follow Guo’s commentary in its interpretive choices. Unlike any previous translation into any language, its guiding principle is how Guo read the text; Lynn renders the Zhuangzi in terms of Guo’s understanding. This approach allows for the full integration of the text of the Zhuangzi with Guo’s commentary. The book also features a translation of Guo’s complete interlinear commentary and is annotated throughout.Comment: This translation of the Zhuangzi based on its earliest commentary by Guo Xiang is essential reading on Daoism.
Zhuangzi, trans. Brook Ziporyn. Zhuangzi: The Essential Writings: With Selections from Traditional Commentaries.2009, Hackett Publishing-
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, Contributed by: I Xuan ChongPublisher’s Note:
Ideal for students and scholars alike, this edition of the Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) includes the complete Inner Chapters, extensive selections from the Outer and Miscellaneous Chapters, and judicious selections from two thousand years of traditional Chinese commentaries, which provide the reader access to the text as well as to its reception and interpretation. A glossary, brief biographies of the commentators, a bibliography, and an index are also included.Comment: This is an essential (partial) philosophical translation of the Zhuangzi. It also comprises useful translations of excerpts from key commentaries on the text, as well as an informative glossary of key philosophical terms.
Zhuangzi, trans. Burton Watson. The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu1968, Columbia University Press-
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, Contributed by: I Xuan ChongPublisher’s Note:
This is one of the standard and often-cited translations of the full text of the ZhuangziComment: This is one of the best and most literal complete translations of the Zhuangzi. It is essential reading on Daoism.
Zhuangzi, trans. A.C. Graham. Chuang Tzu: The Inner Chapters, translated, with Commentary, by A. C. Graham2001, Hackett Publishing-
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, Contributed by: I Xuan ChongPublisher’s Note:
A reliable translation and commentary of the core chapters of the Zhuangzi by a leading scholar.Comment: This is an essential partial translation of the Zhuangzi. Its commentary is very helpful. It is essential reading on Daoism.
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Comment: A state of the field report primarily covering Chinese publications on an important topic in the Zhuangzi. A useful overview for those who want to dig deeper into that topic. Prior konwledge of Zhuangzi's philosophy can be helpful.