Este artigo encontra-se parcialmente em língua estrangeira. Ajude e colabore com a tradução.

Zhuangzi (chinês simplificado: 庄子; chinês tradicional: 莊子; pinyin: Zhuāng Zǐ; Wade–Giles: Chuang Tzŭ), foi um influente filósofo chinês que viveu por volta do século IV a.C., durante o Período dos Reinos Combatentes, um período correspondente to the philosophical summit of Chinese thought — as Cem Escolas de Pensamento, e é creditado a ele a escrita — parcial ou total — de uma obra conhecida pelo seu nome, o Zhuangzi. Seu nome Zhuangzi (português “Mestre Zhuang”, com Zi sendo um título de honra) às vezes é escrito Zhuang Tze, Zhuang Zhou, Chuang Tsu, Chuang Tzu, Chouang-Dsi, Chuang Tse ou Chuangtze.

“昔者莊周夢為蝴蝶，栩栩然蝴蝶也，自喻適志與，不知周也。俄然覺，則蘧蘧然周也。不知周之夢為蝴蝶與，蝴蝶之夢為周與？周與蝴蝶則必有分矣。此之謂物化。”

Another well-known part of the book, which is also found in Chapter 2, is usually called “Zhuangzi dreamed he was a butterfly” (莊周夢蝶 Zhuāng Zhōu mèng dié). Again, the names have been changed to pinyin romanization for consistency:

Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn’t know he was Zhuangzi. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuangzi. But he didn’t know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi. Between Zhuangzi and a butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things. (2, tr. Burton Watson 1968:49)

This hints at many questions in the philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and epistemology.[vague] The name of the passage has become a common Chinese idiom, and has spread into Western languages as well. It appears, inter alia, as an illustration in Jorge Luis Borges’ famous essay “A New Refutation of Time”, and may have inspired H. P. Lovecraft’s 1918 short story “Polaris”. It also appears in Victor Pelevin’s philosophical novel Buddha’s Little Finger.

Zhuangzi’s philosophy was very influential in the development of Chinese Buddhism, especially Chán (also known as Zen).

Anarquismo

Zhuangzi disse que o mundo “não precisa de um governo; de fato ele não deveria ser governado” e “A boa ordem resulta expontaneamente quando as coisas são deixas em paz”. Murray Rothbard o chamou de “talvez o primeiro anarquista do mundo”.

Evolution

In Chapter 18, Zhuangzi also mentions life forms have an innate ability or power (hua 化) to transform and adapt to their surroundings. While his ideas don’t give any solid proof or mechanism of change such as Alfred Wallace and Charles Darwin, his idea about the transformation of life from simple to more complex forms could be seen as being along the same line of thought. Zhuangzi further mentioned that humans are also subject to this process as humans are a part of nature.

Referências

• Wikipedia – Zhuangzi – retirado dia 16/01/2011 e.v.