Hanshan Deqing, Wang Fuzhi, and Lin Yunming on Zhuangzi

The book provides a glimpse into 17th-century Zhuangzi (莊子; ca. 4th through 3rd century BCE) studies by introducing the works of Hanshan Deqing (憨山德清; 1546-1623), Wang Fuzhi (王夫之; 1619-1692), and Lin Yunming (林雲銘; 1628-1697), which give a sense of diverse approaches to Zhuangzi during this period.

The three commentators represent three distinct orientations as reflected by their respective roles, with Hanshan Deqing being a Buddhist monk, Wang Fuzhi a philosopher, and Lin Yunming a literary critic. Their understanding of 'carefree wandering' (逍遙遊) is spelled out, followed by a complete translation of the Peng-bird 鵬 passage through their eyes. The author concludes how this amounts to a conception of human flourishing.

This is the first monograph on Zhuangzi studies of any of these three thinkers in English. General readers or specialists of ancient Chinese philosophy can gain insight into how Zhuangzi was read in culturally relevant contexts.