Zhuangzi: an argument inside a story.

Use a digital text to examine narrative, philosophical questions, and the choices made in translation.

Concept illustration · Original evidence is linked below.

Find the passage

The Chinese Text Project organizes the Zhuangzi for passage-level reading. Record the chapter and selected translation so another reader can follow the same text. Chinese Text Project ↗

Read the surrounding exchange

A striking image or dialogue can change meaning when isolated from the surrounding argument. Compare the speaker, audience, and sequence of the passage. Chinese Text Project ↗

Separate a text from its reception

Later philosophical readings are part of the work’s history. They should be dated and attributed instead of being presented as the only possible original interpretation. Chinese Text Project ↗

Sources to Explore

Dao De Jing: read through an edition.The Yijing: text and commentary.What is a table of numbers for?Which is older, the buried text or the famous one?More from East Asia on the timelineSee every guide on the timeline
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