Zhuangzi

ZHUANGZI (Chinese, 369-286 BCE)

Zhuangzi (or Chuang Tzu) was a Chinese philosopher who, after reading "all the literature of his time," settled on Laozi as his fave, and became a founding philosopher of Daoism (Taoism). He was at least the primary, if not the sole, author of the 33-chapter work that bears his name, the Zhuangzi.

Two well-known stories about Zhuangzi:

• Zhuangzi: "See how the fish come to the surface and swim where they like? That makes them happy."
  Huizi: "You are not a fish; how do you know what makes them happy?"
  Zhuangzi: "You are not me; how do you know I don't know what makes fish happy?"
• Zhuangzi dreamed he was a butterfly. When he awoke, he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming that he was Zhuangzi.

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