Title

A Defense of Guo Xiang’s Philosophy

Author

Chan, Chi-keung

Genre

Article  

Pages

351-384

Download

PDF

Language

Chinese  

Key words

Guo Xiang, Zhuangzi, Wandering at Ease, Wang Zhongjiang, Liu Xiaogan, Methodology

Abstract

      The validity of Guo Xiang’s philosophy has long been a controversial issue within the contemporary academy. Among Guo’s critics, the challenges raised by Wang Zhongjiang and Liu Xiaogan are representative. Wang asserts that Guo Xiang’s philosophy contains serious contradictions, whereas Liu, who adopts a methodological perspective, contends that Guo Xiang’s interpretation of Zhuangzi is distorted. The primary purpose of this paper is to defend Guo Xiang against these two critiques. First, the contradictions identified by Wang can be dissolved when the core concepts in Guo Xiang’s philosophy (especially the concept of Wandering at Ease) are comprehended correctly. Second, it is contended here that the differences between Zhuangzi’s philosophy and Guo Xiang’s philosophy are best understood as a development from primitive theory to rich theory. Through these two arguments, this paper attempts to reconsider the value of Guo Xiang’s philosophy and provide a more just evaluation of its merits.