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'Forget the years, forget norms, let yourself be stirred by the boundless.'The
Zhuangzi -- an anthology of anonymous writings produced in China between the fourth and second centuries BC -- is one of the world's great literary treasures and the single most important source for early Daoist philosophy. It has exerted a profound influence on Chinese thought, literature, and culture, inspiring philosophy, poetry, idioms, proverbs, and even visual art.
This volume provides a complete, annotated English translation of the
Zhuangzi with a philosophical focus that guides readers in understanding and appreciating the text's world of thought. Informed by traditional and recent scholarship, the translation presents the ideas, reasoning, and worldview of the
Zhuangzi in smooth, idiomatic English carefully formulated to reflect the phrasing and philosophical nuances of the original Chinese. Providing a lucid, lively translation, this edition is a guidebook into the philosophy of the
Zhuangzi.
ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
List of contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Note on the Translation
- Select Bibliography
- Chronology
- Maps
- ZHU¿NGZ¿
- The Inner Books
- 1: Freely Wandering About
- 2: Discourse on Evening Things Out
- 3: The Crux of Nurturing Life
- 4: The World Among Humanity
- 5: Tallies of Full Virtue
- 6: The Great Ancestral Master
- 7: Responding to Emperors and Kings
- The Outer Books
- 8: Webbed Toes
- 9: Horses' Hooves
- 10: Breaking into Chests
- 11: Leave It in its Place
- 12: Heaven and Earth
- 13: Heaven's Way
- 14: Heaven Revolves
- 15: Forced Intentions
- 16: Mending Nature
- 17: Autumn Waters
- 18: Ultimate Happiness
- 19: Mastering Life
- 20: The Mountain Tree
- 21: Tián Z¿f¿ng
- 22: Knowledge Wandered North
- The Mixed Books
- 23: G¿ngs¿ng Ch¿
- 24: Ghostless Xú
- 25: Zéyáng
- 26: External Things
- 27: Allegorical Speech
- 28: Yielding the Throne
- 29: Robber Zhí
- 30: A Persuasion on Swords
- 31: The Fisherman
- 32: Liè Yùkòu
- 33: All the World
- Explanatory Notes
- Glossary
About the author
Chris Fraser is Richard Charles and Esther Yewpick Lee Chair in Chinese Thought and Culture in the Departments of Philosophy and East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto. Previously he was Chair and Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong. He is the author of numerous works on early Chinese metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, logic, political philosophy, and philosophy of language, including about two dozen works treating the Zhuangzi.
Summary
A new, highly readable translation of the Zhunangzi -- the single most important source for early Daoist philosophy.
