dao companion to the philosophy of the zhuangzi

The volume discusses questions such as: Why does Zhuangzi use language in this way, and how does it work? Why does he not use straightforward propositional language? Why is language said to be inadequate to capture the ' dao' and what is the nature of this dao? The volume puts Zhuangzi in the philosophical context of his times, and discusses how he relates to other philosophers such as Laozi, Xunzi, and the Logicians. This is the 'Introduction' to the edited volume 'Dao Companion to the Philosophy of the Zhuangzi' (Springer Nature, forthcoming 2022). For Zhuangzi, right and wrong, good and bad hold the same values, while life and death. As the ultimate source and ground of the universe, Dao seems equivalent to a metaphysical concept in Western philosophy. It explores this unique characteristic of the Zhuangzi, in terms of its metaphorical forms, its use of humour in deriding and parodying the Confucians, and paradoxically making Confucius the spokesman for Zhuangzi's own point of view. Dao is the primordial root of all beings and creatures all beings and creatures in turn depend on it, and it never turns away from them.

The volume starts out with the textual history of the Zhuangzi, and then examines how language is used in the text. It covers textual, linguistic, hermeneutical, ethical, social/political and philosophical issues, with the latter including epistemological, metaphysical, phenomenological and cross-cultural (Chinese and Western) aspects. This comprehensive collection brings out the rich and deep philosophical resources of the Zhuangzi.

Dao companion to the philosophy of the zhuangzi