Chuang Tzu: Mystic, Moralist, and Social Reformer

Chuang Tzŭ belongs to the third and fourth centuries before Christ. He lived in the feudal age, when China was split up into a number of States owning a nominal allegiance to the royal, and weakly, House of Chou.

He is noticed by the historian Ssŭ-ma Ch'ien, who flourished at the close of the second century B.C., as follows: -

Chuang Tzŭ was a native of M?ng. His personal name was Chou. He held a petty official post at Ch'i-y?an in M?ng. He lived contemporaneously with Prince Hui of the Liang State and Prince Hs?an of the Ch'i State. His erudition was most varied; but his chief doctrines are based upon the sayings of Lao Tzŭ. Consequently, his writings, which extend to over 100,000 words, are mostly allegorical.

He wrote The Old Fisherman, Robber Ch?, and Opening Trunks, with a view to asperse the Confucian school and to glorify the mysteries of Lao Tzŭ. Wei Lei Hs?, K?ng Saṅg Tzŭ, and the like, are probably unsubstantial figments of his imagination. Nevertheless, his literary and dialectic skill was such that the best scholars of the age proved unable to refute his destructive criticism of the Confucian and Mihist schools.

His teachings were like an overwhelming flood, which spreads at its own sweet will. Consequently, from rulers and ministers downwards, none could apply them to any definite use.