\tThe book Zhuangzi was fixed in its shape by Liu Xiang \u5218\u5411, an imperial librarian of the Former Han dynasty \u524d\u6c49 (206 BCE-8 CE). At that time the book Zhuangzi comprised 52 chapters, while the received version, shaped by the Jin period \u664b (265-420) Daoist scholar Guo Xiang \u90ed\u8c61, has only 33 chapters, divided into three parts: 7 "inner chapters" (neipian \u5185\u7bc7), 15 "outer chapters" (waipian \u5916\u7bc7), and 11 "miscellaneous chapters" (zapian \u6742\u7bc7). The literary language of the Zhuangzi is very excellent and many parts of the book, in thought as well as in language, seem to stem from one single author, at least the Inner Chapters. The Song period \u5b8b (960-1279) writer and thinker Su Shi \u82cf\u8f7c was the first who systematically analyzed the probability of Zhuang Zhou’s authorship and came to the conclusion that the chapters Dao Zhi \u76d7\u8dd6, Yufu \u6e14\u7236, Rangwang \u8ba9\u738b and Yuejian \u8bf4\u5251 were definitely not written by the philosopher Zhuangzi. The Ming period \u660e (1368-1644) collector Jiao Hong \u7126\u7ad1 argued that the Inner Chapters were quite probably written by one person, but the Outer and Miscellaneous Chapters were additions of later times, especially the Han period. The modern scholar Luo Genze \u7f57\u6839\u6cfd systematically analysed these doubtful parts of the book. He concluded that some parts included anti-Confucian, or probably anarchist or at least libertinist, sentiments of what he calls "leftist Daoists" (zuopai daojia \u5de6\u6d3e\u9053\u5bb6), while others were written by "rightist Daoists" (youpai daojia \u53f3\u6d3e\u9053\u5bb6) that were accepting the Confucian order of society. These, and the chapters talking of immortals, were creations of the late Warring States or the early Han period, when Confucianism was not yet defined as the official state doctrine. Wang Shumin \u738b\u53d4\u5cb7 (Zhuangzi jiaoshi \u5e84\u5b50\u6821\u91ca) says that the division into inner and outer chapters was an arrangement by Guo Xiang, who therewith followed a common use also to be found in other early texts, and therefore challenges the old theory that the Inner Chapters were originals and therefore more trustworthy than the others. Ma Xulun \u9a6c\u53d9\u4f26 (Zhuangzi yizheng \u5e84\u5b50\u4e49\u8bc1) also points at the fact that only very few texts include a part of "miscellaneous chapters". The famous historian of philosophy Feng Youlan \u51af\u53cb\u5170, followed this argument and doubted whether the Inner Chapters really contained any original thoughts of Zhuangzi.
\tDuring the Han period the book Zhuangzi was not yet regarded with high esteem. Only during the Jin period it became one of the "Three Mysterious Books" (sanxuan \u4e09\u7384), together with the Yijing \u6613\u7ecf and the Laozi. During the Tang period \u5510 (618-907) the philosopher Zhuangzi was deified and the book attributed to him was given the official title of Nanhua zhengjing \u5357\u534e\u771f\u7ecf "Perfect classic of the Southern Flower". The most important commentaries are Zhuangzi zhu \u5e84\u5b50\u6ce8 by Guo Xiang, Zhuangzi shu \u5e84\u5b50\u758f by the Tang period author Cheng Xuanying \u6210\u7384\u82f1, Lu Deming's \u9646\u5fb7\u660e phonetic commentary Zhuangzi yinyi \u5e84\u5b50\u97f3\u4e49, Lin Xiyi's \u6797\u5e0c\u9038 commentary Nanhua zhenjing kouyi \u5357\u534e\u771f\u7ecf\u53e3\u4e49 from the Song period, the Ming period scholar Jiao Hong's Zhuangzi yi \u5e84\u5b50\u7ffc, and finally the Qing period \u6e05 (1644-1911) commentaries Zhuangzi jishi \u5e84\u5b50\u96c6\u91ca by Guo Qingfan \u90ed\u5e86\u85e9, Wang Xianqian's \u738b\u5148\u8c26 Zhuangzi jijie \u5e84\u5b50\u96c6\u89e3, and the modern commentary Zhuangzi buzheng \u5e84\u5b50\u8865\u6b63 by Liu Wendian \u5218\u6587\u5178. Other early commentaries were written by Sima Biao \u53f8\u9a6c\u5f6a and Cui Zhuan \u5d14\u8b54, fragements of which can be found in the collectaneum Jingdian shiwen \u7ecf\u5178\u91ca\u6587.<\/p>\n
\tThe Zhuangzi is also very important for its information on the proponents of other philosophical schools regularly cited. Zhuangzi expresses his philosophical thoughts by anecdotes which makes the book very amusing and readable, besides of the high literary quality. Many parts of the Zhuangzi are reports about strange countries and fabulous beasts like in the pseudo-geography Shanhaijing \u5c71\u6d77\u7ecf, and supernatural powers of immortals, like in later collections of Daoist biographies like the Liexianzhuan \u5217\u4ed9\u4f20. Some critics also say that Zhuangzi in some chapters exerted hypnomancy (interpretation of dreams).
\tThe most widespread and important editions of the Zhuangzi are the facsimile of a Song period print in the collectaneum Xu guyishu \u7eed\u53e4\u9038\u4e66, the edition in the Daoist Canon Daozang, the Ming period edition in the Liuzi quanshu \u516d\u5b50\u5168\u4e66, produced in the Shide Hall \u4e16\u5fb7\u5802, the Shizi quanshu \u5341\u5b50\u5168\u4e66 edition by the Juwen Hall \u805a\u6587\u5802, and the Qing period prints in the Zishu ershier zhong \u5b50\u4e66\u4e8c\u5341\u4e8c\u79cd and the Zhuangzi jishi \u5e84\u5b50\u96c6\u91ca published by the Sixian Academy \u601d\u8d24\u8bb2\u820d in Changsha. The Zhuangzi is also to be found in the collectanea Sibu congkan \u56db\u90e8\u4e1b\u520a, Baizi quanshu \u767e\u5b50\u5168\u4e66, Zhuzi jicheng \u8bf8\u5b50\u96c6\u6210, Sibu beiyao \u56db\u90e8\u5907\u8981 and Siku quanshu \u56db\u5e93\u5168\u4e66.<\/p>\n
\tThe book Zhuangzi was at all times very attractive because of its metaphorical language. It is an appealing counterpart and completion of the mysterious and obscure statements in the Daodejing. Zhuangzi's high literary standards made it furthermore a favoured reading of the educated class, even the Confucians. In the 3rd century CE, when Confucianism was somewhat discredited by the failure of the state administration, Daoism was en vogue, especially in the syncretist form of the so-called "School of Mysteries" (xuanxue \u7384\u5b66) that combined Confucian ideas with that of the anti-state attitude of Laozi and Zhuangzi. All early commentators to the Zhuangzi, like Xiang Xiu or Guo Xiang, were representants of the School of Mysteries. In the next centuries the Buddhist concept of prajñ\u0101 (Chinese transliteration b\u014dr\u011b \u822c\u82e5, sic!), the universal wisdom that penetrates all objects in the universe, was merged with Zhuangzi's understanding of the Dao. Other aspects of Daoism were also to be found in Buddhist religion, like sam\u0101dhi "mediation", which can be compared with Zhuangzi's "sitting and forgetting". The monk Zhidun \u652f\u9041 compiled an essay to Zhuangzi's chapter Xiaoyaoyou, and it is known that the monk Huiyuan \u6167\u8fdc in his early years studied the Confucian Classics as well as Laozi and Zhuangzi. Finally, Zhuangzi's description of the Dao laid the foundation for the Neo-Confucian interpretation of the universal or Heavenly order (tianli \u5929\u7406), which was not only in principle the same as the Daoist "Way", but also implanted the positive character of the Confucian order of society into the hearts of all humans.
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