Since the discovery of “Zhuangzi”, the philosophy has attracted the attention of scholars all over the world for its unique literariness and ideology. To enlighten modern education, this paper attempts to analyze Zhuangzi's philosophy, especially ...
Since the discovery of “Zhuangzi”, the philosophy has attracted the attention of scholars all over the world for its unique literariness and ideology. To enlighten modern education, this paper attempts to analyze Zhuangzi's philosophy, especially his educational thought, from the philosophical perspective of the two-stories structure.
Based on the traditional philosophy of binary opposition, the two-stories structure is a philosophical thought that breaks through the opposition between the two opposites, to eliminate the opposition and achieve the harmony and unity of the metaphysical world and the physical world. The main difference between the two-stories structure and other world-views lies in its discussion of the relationship between the upper world and the lower world: The upper structure (A) is the origin of the world; the upper structure (A) is above the lower structure (B), while the upper structure (A) is contained in the lower structure (B); and structure A and B cannot be separated.
Zhuangzi's philosophical thought and the philosophical content of the two-stories structure agree in many aspects. Therefore, the two-stories structure can be used as the philosophical basis to explain Zhuangzi's thought, and the most outstanding performance is the philosophy of "the unity of man and nature(天人合一)”. "The unity of heaven and man" is to return to the avenue in accordance with the innate nature of people. The universe is a big world, and man is a small world. Also, Zhuangzi's "The Way produces all things(道生萬物)”, "Ch'i synthesize everything(氣化萬物)” and the relationship between the Way and Ch'i is also very suitable to explain with the philosophical framework of the two-stories structure.
Zhuangzi believes that under the regulations of the Way everything is born, developed, and strengthened , and finally returns to death. The Way is the objective law of the operation of all things. Although the Way cannot produce everything directly and consciously, but if there is no premise of the Way, or if everything does not live in accordance with the provisions of the Way, then nothing can be born and develop. In this sense, the Way produces all things.
Zhuangzi believes that Ch'i is the most basic source of matter, similar to what is now called atoms and molecules, and is the basic material unit that makes up everything. Ch'i, under the unconscious action of the Tao, constantly changes during the flow operation, thus forming various forms of everything.
The Way is the highest concept in Taoist philosophy. It is the source power for the formation of all things and the source of spiritual nature. Ch'i is the material that forms everything and is the material foundation. Ch'i must follow the laws and rules of the Way in the process of forming everything. In the physical world, the Way and Ch'i are overlapping and inseparable; In the metaphysical world, the two can be distinguished logically.
Based on the philosophical framework of the two-stories structure and Zhuangzi's thoughts, we can refine Zhuangzi's educational thoughts. Zhuangzi's educational thought is put forward on the basis of the theory of ‘the unity of man and nature’. On the basis of the theory of the unity of man and nature, Zhuangzi put forward the theory of natural humanity. That is to say, human nature is in the same vein with nature, and has its own internal rules and laws. Therefore, Zhuangzi believes that education should also follow human nature.
Zhuangzi's main educational thoughts are "cut off sageliness and cast away wisdom(絕聖棄智)”, "teaching without words(不言之教)”and "the Way surpasses skill(技進乎道)”. "Cut off sageliness and cast away wisdom” is not to let people abandon the pursuit of knowledge, but to oppose self-centeredness, and oppose a solid method of distinguishing right from wrong to understand the world. Zhuangzi analyzed the limitations of ‘language’, and then put forward the idea of "teaching without words”, and proposed methods such as ‘fasting of the mind’ and ‘sitting down and forgetting everything’. Zhuangzi believes that the key to the ability of ‘skill’ to carry ‘the Way’is not the technology itself, but the person, and furthermore, the spiritual spirit of the person. These educational thoughts all take ‘Tao’ as the starting point and ‘to reach the realm of Tao’ as the ultimate goal, which embodies the great wisdom of ancient philosophers.