The Radical Freedom of Xiao Yao in Zhuangzi's Philosophy

Outside of East Asia, the impression many have of Chinese culture is that Confucianism is its dominant school of thought and essential organizing principle. But, in truth, Confucianism was only one school among many in its time, and even today it remains only one of several major philosophical traditions that shape the Chinese soul.

Daoism, or Taoism, for one, has been at least equally influential. And one of Daoism's founding thinkers was Zhuangzi (369-286 B.C.). Humorous, irreverent, skeptical, and obviously brilliant, Zhuangzi left us with a single volume of his philosophy which remains a fount of wisdom which many of us return to when we can use some of it. Above all, whereas Confucianism preached the primacy of ethical strictures, Zhuangzi taught us to seek a state of absolute and radical freedom...

Support the show