ABSTRACT
The Zhuangzi, a text associated with the figure Zhuangzi (fourth century bce), poses important and difficult questions, ones that helped to shape a significant philosophical tradition—Daoism. It engaged with debates on institutions, norms, and practices that aimed to address the unrest at that time. The Zhuangzi found many prevailing doctrines, and the attitudes of those who promoted them, unsatisfactory. It used imagery and stories—involving talking animals, deformed trees, and hunchbacks—to unsettle those who believed that their doctrines were singularly correct. Its models of mastery and skill cultivation reveal a firm commitment to a world in flux. The text’s questions continue to be relevant, inviting readers to consider and re-orientate their metaphysical and epistemological commitments.
