Zhuangzi's Critique of the Confucians

Looks at the Daoist Zhuangzi's critique of Confucianism.The Daoist Zhuangzi has often been read as a mystical philosopher. But there is another tradition, beginning with the Han dynasty historian Sima Qian, which sees him as a critic of the Confucians. Kim-chong Chong analyzes the Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi, demonstrating how Zhuangzi criticized the pre-Qin Confucians through metaphorical inversion and parody. This is indicated by the subtitle, "e;Blinded by the Human,"e; which is an inversion of the Confucian philosopher Xunzi's remark that Zhuangzi was "e;blinded by heaven and did not know the human."e; Chong compares Zhuangzi's Daoist thought to Confucianism, as exemplified by Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi. By analyzing and comparing the different implications of concepts such as "e;heaven,"e; "e;heart-mind,"e; and "e;transformation,"e; Chong shows how Zhuangzi can be said to provide the resources for a more pluralistic and liberal philosophy than the Confucians.