Early Daoist thought · c. 369 – c. 286 BCE
Zhuangzi
Wander freely among things as they transform.
Meng, state of Song · ancient China
Reading guides
A thread to guide your reading.
Original introductions to enter the works, discover their central questions and take the reflection further.
Wandering with the Inner Chapters
Follow perspective, skill and the usefulness of the useless through the seven Inner Chapters, from the great bird Peng to Cook Ding.
Inner ChaptersFish, tortoise and mourning
Read the debates and anecdotes of the outer and miscellaneous chapters on knowledge, office and death, and compare them with the inner core.
Outer and Miscellaneous ChaptersReading through Guo Xiang
Examine how Guo Xiang’s commentary turns the parables into a philosophy of spontaneity and allotted nature that shaped later readings.
Guo Xiang’s Commentary