庄子 biography
Biography
Key Takeaway: Zhuangzi (庄子, also romanized Chuang Tzu; the pinyin form of the same name), meaning "Master Zhuang," was a Chinese philosopher of the late 4th century BCE whose personal name was Zhuang Zhou (庄周).
Zhuangzi (庄子). Zhuangzi (庄子, also romanized Chuang Tzu; the pinyin form of the same name), meaning "Master Zhuang," was a Chinese philosopher of the late 4th century BCE whose personal name was Zhuang Zhou (庄周). The Zhuangzi, the foundational Taoist text named for him, is a composite work of 33 chapters — not a book written entirely by one person — famous for its parables (the butterfly dream, Cook Ding carving an ox, the happy fish debate, the useless tree) and for ideas such as free and easy wandering (xiaoyao you, 逍遥游), the equality of things (qiwu, 齐物), and spontaneous transformation (ziran, 自然).
According to the Tao Te Ching by Laozi and the Zhuangzi, the foundational texts of Taoist philosophy, Zhuangzi (庄子, also romanized Chuang Tzu; the pinyin form of the same name), meaning "Master Zhuang," was a Chinese philosopher of the late 4th century BCE whose personal name was Zhuang Zhou (庄周).
— Oriens
Related Wisdom Cards
The Blade Without an Edge
Skill dissolves into something deeper
The Well and the Sea
Your world is not the world
The Fish Trap
Words are for crossing, not for keeping
Related Guides
What Is Zhuangzi
The definition guide provides the introductory Zhuangzi context and hands readers to the canonical Zhuangzi entity.
Zhuangzi Complete Guide
The complete guide: how the received 33-chapter Zhuangzi is organized, the seven Inner Chapters, and how to begin reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
庄子 biography
Zhuangzi (庄子, also romanized Chuang Tzu; the pinyin form of the same name), meaning "Master Zhuang," was a Chinese philosopher of the late 4th century BCE whose personal name was Zhuang Zhou (庄周)..
who was Zhuangzi
The Zhuangzi, the foundational Taoist text named for him, is a composite work of 33 chapters — not a book written entirely by one person — famous for its parables (the butterfly dream, Cook Ding carving an ox, the happy fish debate, the useless tree) and for ideas such as free and easy wandering (xiaoyao you, 逍遥游), the equality of things (qiwu, 齐物), and spontaneous transformation (ziran, 自然)..
Zhuangzi life story
Zhuangzi (庄子, also romanized Chuang Tzu; the pinyin form of the same name), meaning "Master Zhuang," was a Chinese philosopher of the late 4th century BCE whose personal name was Zhuang Zhou (庄周)..