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The Western Interpretations of "Zhuangzi”

Author(s): Desislava Damyanova
Subject(s): Philosophy, Language and Literature Studies, Non-European Philosophy, East Asian Philosophy, Translation Studies
Published by: Великотърновски университет „Св. св. Кирил и Методий”
Keywords: Zhuangzi; early Daoism; western interpreters
Summary/Abstract: Exploring a significant amount of secondary literature on “Zhuangzi” has led us to the conclusion not only that so many individual interpretations exist, but that the presence of an incredible variety of readings is perplexing. They are often contradictory and puzzling due to their remoteness from the original text (the inner chapters of the treatise, which we reconstructed thanks to the invaluable help of an excellent connoisseur of the old Chinese language we cooperated with)2. The reason for the detection of many voices in the composition with the alleged authorship of Zhuang Zhou only in its inner section requires further research. The ambiguous assessments of its contemporary interpreters are probably due to the free creative play of different genres in the writings of the early Daoists.Exploring a significant amount of secondary literature on “Zhuangzi” has led us to the conclusion not only that so many individual interpretations exist, but that the presence of an incredible variety of readings is perplexing. They are often contradictory and puzzling due to their remoteness from the original text (the inner chapters of the treatise, which we reconstructed thanks to the invaluable help of an excellent connoisseur of the old Chinese language we cooperated with)2. The reason for the detection of many voices in the composition with the alleged authorship of Zhuang Zhou only in its inner section requires further research. The ambiguous assessments of its contemporary interpreters are probably due to the free creative play of different genres in the writings of the early Daoists.