Fiction and Philosophy in the Zhuangzi: An Introduction to Early Chinese Taoist Thought

The Zhuangzi is a challenging classical text, but this English translation by Romain Graziani makes it accessible and engaging. It introduces the stories and philosophical insights of the text, showing how Zhuangzi responds to Menciuss conception of sacrifice and self-cultivation. Graziani highlights the co-founder of Taoism as a remarkable thinker who critiques moral virtues and challenges social norms. This translation is a valuable introduction for anyone exploring Chinese philosophy or the Zhuangzi for the first time.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 24 December 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The Zhuangzi is a remarkable literary and philosophical masterpiece from China, brimming with mythical imagination, poetic sallies, and often ferociously witty remarks. However, the complexities of this classical text can make it a challenging read. This English translation, by Romain Graziani, aims to guide readers confidently through the comic scenes and virtuoso writing style, introducing all the little stories Zhuangzi invented and unpicking its philosophical insights through close commentaries and helpful asides.

Graziani's translation opens up the text as never before, showing how Zhuangzi uses the stories as an answer to Menciuss conception of sacrifice and self-cultivation. He restores the critical interplay with Confucius' Analects and guides readers through the themes of the animal world, sacrifice, political violence, meditation, illness, and death. In Graziani's translation, the co-founder of Taoism emerges as a remarkable thinker: a dedicated disparager of moral virtues who stubbornly resists any form of allegiance to social norms and the only Warring States figure to improvise with the darkest irony on the weaknesses of men and their docile subservience to the unquestioned authority of language.

For anyone coming to Chinese philosophy or the Zhuangzi for the first time, this introduction and translation is a must-read. It reminds us of the importance of thinking beyond our limited, everyday perspectives and offers a fresh and insightful perspective on this classic text.

Weight: 290g
Dimension: 139 x 214 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350124318