國立臺灣大學哲學論評

Abstract / PDF Download

In his writing, “Xiaoyaoyou” (逍遙遊), Zhuangzi uses parables to
express his profound and innermost spiritual world. His artistic conception
and approach inspire ongoing research by subsequent generations. Fang
Yizhi analyzes numerous ancient and modern interpretations of Zhuangzi’s
piece, applies Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist thinking, and uses his unique
writing method to interpret the rich content in Zhuangzi’s writing.
In the present article, important concepts of Fang Yizhi’s interpretation
are analyzed from three different angles. First, regarding Zhuangzi’s argument
of “the distinction between micro and macro” (小大之辨), Fang Yizhi intends
to eliminate this persistent polarized view by emphasizing that micro and macro
are indistinguishable. Second, Fang Yizhi uses the conflict between the
concepts of “existence” (有) and “nonexistence” (無) to illustrate the relationship
between mutual negation and mutual confirmation. He also advocates that if
we “are not biased by or do not insist on either existence or nonexistence”
and “do not break away from the confronting phenomena of existence and
nonexistence”, then we shall be at ease in our real life. Third, Fang Yizhi applies
Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism to illustrate the approach and structure
of Xiaoyaoyou. This is precisely the reflection of his own life experiences.
Through the analysis of the present article, one can understand the interpretation
methods and theoretical basis Fang Yizhi advocates to remove any polarized
view in order to obtain freedom of the soul.