book pronounced ancient chinese text late states period contains stories anecdotes nature ideal sage named traditional author master texts generally considered important writings consists large collection anecdotes humorous nature main themes action freedom human world conventions anecdotes text attempt illustrate human good bad large small life death human nature philosophers wrote moral personal duty promoted wandering way following nature primarily known philosophical work regarded greatest literary works chinese history called important text study chinese literature masterpiece philosophical literary skill significantly influenced writers years han dynasty present major chinese writers poets history han dynasty dynasty song dynasty influenced history named attributed master chinese man generally said born place called state song near modern died known life thought spent time southern state capital state records grand historian china histories biography simply drawn anecdotes scholar translator noted writings attributed bear stamp brilliant original mind text generally treated single scholars recognized song dynasty parts book written ancient times seven chapters inner chapters considered actual work modern scholars agree view remaining chapters outer chapters miscellaneous chapters written long debated generally accepted middle later chapters result subsequent process later authors responding brilliance inner chapters surviving chapters accepted compositions 4th 2nd centuries details history prior han dynasty largely unknown traces influence period philosophical texts suggest intellectual lineage fairly influential states 3rd century refers word work references chapters text book han han finished lists chapters scholars believe original form work number different forms survived dynasty shorter popular chapter form book prepared philosopher writer source surviving editions chinese classics imperial proclamation emperor awarded title true scripture southern orthodox scholars consider true classic non nature manuscripts portions discovered bamboo slip texts period han dynasty tombs particularly han bamboo texts sites slips texts date contains appears short fragment chapter large number fragments dating early dynasty discovered manuscripts early 20th century expeditions hungarian british explorer french collectively form chapters version preserved japanese national treasures preserved temple manuscript period manuscript seven complete chapters outer miscellaneous chapters believed close copy edition written 7th century chinese master content overview surviving chapters contain stories fairly short simple split drilling seven holes chapter discovered sitting beating basin wife dies chapter longer complex like story chapter account music chapter unlike stories texts unique form bulk text occasional features witty emotional limited reality unlike ancient chinese works usually based historical legends stories invented completely strange description evolution spray series substances insects horses humans chapter passages sheer playful nonsense read like quirky fantastic characters mad scholar sir man believes left arm turn right arm turn master language engages logic reasoning turns upside carries arguments demonstrate limitations human knowledge rational world reasoning renowned argument philosopher friend master joy fish chapter compared dialogue traditions near end book termed like notable passages butterfly dream famous stories butterfly appears end second chapter equality things known image wondering man dreamed butterfly butterfly dreaming man striking dramas written theme plays theme transformation illustrating distinction waking dreaming false distinguishes tell dreaming awake cook cuts story cook cuts secrets life chapter famously uses image skilled butcher illustrate characteristic mastered principles completely following nature death known story death illustrates dangers saw going innate nature things believed greatest human happiness achieved higher understanding nature things order develop oneself fully needed express innate ability uses chinese conception chaos physical analogy soup demonstrate believed disastrous consequences going things innate debate joy fish story debate joy fish known compared dialogue tradition ancient greece exact point debate entirely clear story point knowing thing simply state mind possible determine knowing objective validity story cited example linguistic mastery subtly uses reason anti point drumming singing known story drumming singing describes view death feared viewed death natural process transformation gives form existence assumes second chapter makes point humans know death fact better life know loving life know death like man having left home youth forgotten way writings teach wise man woman accepts death absolute happiness skull story skull consistently popular western readers classic example strange humorous insight stories list chapters themes stories anecdotes highly unique set principles attitudes including living life natural uniting inner self cosmic way keeping oneself distant politics social obligations accepting death natural transformation showing appreciation praise things view useless rejecting social values conventional reasoning principles form core ideas philosophical major philosophical schools ancient china concerned concrete social political ethical reforms designed reform people society alleviate problems suffering world believed key true happiness free oneself world standards principle action based motives gain fundamentally opposed systems impose order individuals interprets universe thing changes spontaneously conscious god driving argues humans achieve ultimate happiness living equally spontaneously argues humans advanced abilities tendency create artificial good versus bad large versus small versus social systems like remove natural universe order illustrate felt characterize human action frequently uses analogy writes skilled skilled butcher skilled swimmer course action skill merely acts spontaneously knowing success term wandering stories describe person creation enjoying attached vigorously opposes formal government felt problematic foundation opposition man nature text tries soon government natural affairs destroys possibility genuine happiness unclear positions anarchy means favor violence political references concerned government kind government exist western scholars long noticed strongly anti possible contemporary sophisticated school ancient china reason logic greek philosophy entire western philosophical tradition china philosophers preferred rely moral played significant role traditional chinese skepticism frequently turns logical arguments upside discredit entirely abandon language reason wished point limit flexibility thought influence virtually major chinese writer poet history han dynasty dynasty song dynasty deeply ideas early times traces influence period philosophical texts suggest intellectual lineage fairly influential states 3rd century han state sponsored respectively highly regarded exception han dynasty scholar work owl earliest definitively known reference cites sixth poem collapse han dynasty subsequent chaos kingdoms period began rise popularity acclaim 3rd century poets members famous seven bamboo grove ardent essays entitled discourse extant period saw temporarily surpassed revival old texts classic changes early medieval chinese poets artists deeply influenced buddhism called important writings inner chapters core ideas philosophical fourth century major source imagery terminology new form known school popular aristocracy dynasty highest clarity borrowed notable terms perfected man great clarity mind somewhat differently important role played time influential adaptation buddhism chinese culture buddhism introduction china 1st century china aristocratic buddhist monk wrote prominent commentary century played significant role formation buddhism grew fusion buddhist ideology ancient thought traits borrowed distrust language logic insistence found fondness dialogues based challenging statements known japanese modern outside china traditional far general popularity rarely known non scholars number prominent scholars attempted bring wider attention western readers british translator described entertaining books world introduction translation noted wrote feel sense injustice known fellow citizens thoroughly ignored firmly believe respect superior work selected translations london 2nd edition revised shanghai kelly reprinted london james texts sacred books east oxford new selected translation exposition philosophy shanghai watson burton basic writings new_york 2nd edition 3rd edition converted pinyin japanese tokyo watson burton new_york french paris japanese fully interpreted chinese literature series tokyo graham seven inner chapters writings book london translation notes published separately notes london african studies wandering way early tales new_york republished honolulu brook essential writings selections indianapolis
Zhuangzi (book)