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Chuang Tzu, Basic Writings
View the study guide below, or download the .pdf version.
Overview
Chuang Tzu's Basic Writings, translated by Burton Watson, is a collection of anecdotes, dialogues, and contemplations about how people ought to live their lives. Chuang Tzu offers critiques of conventional thinking while suggesting a variety of alternative perspectives. The work is divided up into three sections: Inner Chapters (1-7), Outer Chapters (8-22), and Miscellaneous Chapters (23-33). This work has become a mainstay in Freshman Studies - it's been taught in each of the last twelve years - and it's always a great favorite with students. Among its most appealing features is its sense of humor. The work is challenging and deep, to be sure, but also consistently amusing. It would make a great change of pace for almost any group of readers.
Several editions are available-and all of them are different. We have always used the edition from Columbia University Press. That edition was edited by Burton Watson.
Author
Chuang Tzu (369-286 B.C.E.) Philosopher whose idea of self-transformation furthered the development of Taoism. There is not much information about Chuang Tzu. He lived during the 4 th century B.C.E. in China, at a time of considerable political and social turmoil. His thought reflects one approach to the problems of this "warring states" period - see the many stories of emperors and their advisors - and groups may want to ask how he would have us respond to our own historical challenges. Chuang Tzu was born at least a century after Confucius, whom he lampoons from time to time, and it is said that he gave up a small official post in order to maintain his spiritual freedom. Chuang Tzu's name may also be written as Master Chuang, Zhuangzi, and Zhuang Zhou.
Questions
- What methods does this author use to get his points across? Why do you suppose he so often relies on stories and anecdotes? What does he gain by using this approach - and what might he lose?
- Where do the stories overlap, and where do they contradict? Does this text seem to be striving for logical or emotional consistency? And if it's not, is that necessarily a problem?
- What can we say about the Tao or the Way, and what can we say about Heaven? What are the chief qualities of the Great Man, Perfect Man, or Sage?
- How does dualist thinking (i.e., "this" and "that," likes and dislikes) hinder a person from understanding life?
- Considering that the Tao is hard to capture with language, take another look at the last paragraph of the work. Does Chuang Tzu believe that his words have helped the reader understand the Tao? If not, how is the reader to come to an understanding of it? Has Chuang Tzu given the reader the tools to do so? Ironically, Chuang Tzu wants to have a word with the person who understands the Tao so that words are no longer needed in grasping the concept. What would be said? If words were not exchanged, then what, if anything, would pass between the two?
Lectures
This lecture was delivered by Professor Dirck Vorenkamp in the fall of 2001. What an entertaining, well-planned lecture! Prof Vorenkamp puts on a performance in addition to giving a lecture. He includes anecdotes amongst his kernels of knowledge and insights on Chuang Tzu’s Basic Writings, much like the work itself. His stories and even a cameo from Chuang Tzu help explain not only what the Tao is and why it matters but also how the Tao can be a reality.
http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/freshman_studies/lectures/0102/chuangtzu.shtml
You might also enjoy this discussion with Dirck Vorenkamp about Chuang Tzu.
http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/freshman_studies/media/mp3/interviews/20070817-vorenkamp-spurgin.mp3
Visit the link below for all Freshman Studies lectures for the past ten years, including several on Chuang Tzu.
http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/freshman_studies/lectures/
Links
- The Daoist Studies website, which traces Daoism from its beginnings down to the 20th century.
http://www.daoiststudies.org/begin.php - The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy provides a more in-depth look at Taoism. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/taoism/
- For more on other Asian religious traditions, try this site on Mohism.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mohism/