Zhuangzi’s influence and contribution to later generations’ philosophical culture lies in his establishment of abstract philosophical ontology.

Zhuangzi’s influence on later generations:

What most attracts the attention of later generations is his theory of "living in peace and ease". The ideological realm of spiritual freedom that Zhuangzi pursues is the freedom and detachment after looking down on fame and fortune in life, just like the rotation of all things, my heart remains unmoved. This is a transcendent realm of life.

In Chinese history, no one can absorb and transcend Zhuangzi’s abstract philosophical egoism. Zhuangzi represents the highest level of metaphysics in China, and no one in future generations can inherit it.

Zhuangzi had unique thoughts and theories in philosophy, worldly life, and politics. He advocated tranquility and inaction and the unity of nature and man, and he also had the detachment theory of pursuing spiritual freedom. Zhuangzi proposed the earliest metaphysics in China, but it is a pity that later generations failed to inherit and develop it.

Zhuangzi’s main thoughts:

Zhuangzi’s philosophical thought mainly inherited Laozi’s system, and added his own viewpoints and theories on top of it. Zhuangzi believes that "Tao" is the natural law that exists objectively in the universe, and the natural law is the explanation of the origin of the universe.

On the basis of Laozi's "man follows nature", Zhuangzi proposed that all things in the world are interconnected. He believed that the natural laws of "Tao" are boundless and there is no master who controls all things. , all things are self-generating and self-supporting, evolving naturally in the heaven and earth.

Introduction to Zhuangzi and his life:

Introduction:

Zhuangzi, surnamed Zhuang, given name Zhou, given name Zixiu (also known as Zimu), was a native of the Song Dynasty. , the ancestor is Song Daigong, the monarch of Song Dynasty. He was a famous thinker, philosopher and writer in the middle of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Warring States Period. He founded Zhuang Xue, an important philosophical school in China. After Laozi, he was a representative figure of the Taoist school during the Warring States Period and one of the main representatives of the Taoist school.

Zhuang Zhou refused to be hired by King Wei of Chu because he advocated freedom. In his life, he only served as a lacquer garden official in the Song Dynasty. Known as the "Proud Official of Qiyuan" in history, he was hailed as a model for local officials. Zhuangzi was the first to propose the idea of ??"inner sages and outer kings" which had a profound influence on Confucianism. Zhuangzi had an insight into the principles of the Yi and profoundly pointed out that "the Yi deals with yin and yang"; Zhuangzi's "three sounds" thought is consistent with the three talents in the Yi Jing.

Character biography:

Zhuangzi was born in Meng, the state of Song Dynasty. He was a descendant of the Duke of Song Dynasty. His ancestors can be traced back to Song Daigong, the eleventh generation king of Song Dynasty. There are many opinions on the modern geographical location of Mongolia, such as Shangqiu in Henan, Mengcheng in Anhui, Dongming in Shandong, etc. Zhuangzi was born in about the seventh year of King Lie of Zhou (369 BC). This is mainly investigated from two aspects.

First of all, "Historical Records" records that Zhuangzi was at the same time as King Hui of Liang and King Xuan of Qi. It also records that King Wei of Chu sent an envoy to hire Zhuangzi with generous coins. The first year of King Wei of Chu (339 BC) was the 32nd year of King Hui of Liang and the third year of King Xuan of Qi. King Wei died in the 11th year (329 BC), and "when Zhou was able to appoint Chu, he must have been thirty or forty years old." Years old", then Zhuangzi's birth year should be no later than 369 BC to 359 BC.