ABSTRACT

The Zhuangzi, a 4th century BCE Chinese text, is optimistic about life unrestrained by entrenched values. This paper contributes to existing debates on Zhuangzian freedom in three ways. First, it reflects on how it is possible to enjoy the freedom envisaged in the Zhuangzi. Many discussions welcome the Zhuangzi’s picture of release from life shaped by canonical visions, without also giving thought to life without these driving visions. Consider this scenario: in a world with limitless possibilities, would it not be fraught, not knowing how to interpret situations? I suggest that freedom in the Zhuangzi is possible only if one succeeds in reorienting herself to the new ‘normal’. Second, I introduce and develop the idea of working with constraints. This focuses on an agent's maximizing the fit between relevant conditions, on the one hand, and their capabilities, on the other. Finally, I propose that self-directed practice, an important expression of agency, is required for building capabilities that enable such freedom. I examine the idea of risk involved in these firsthand experiences, articulating an account of agency that sits at the heart of hard-won Zhuangzian freedom.

摘要

庄子是公元前 4 世纪的中文文本，它乐观地看待不受根深蒂固的价值观约束的生活。本文从三个方面对现有的关于庄子自由的辩论做出了贡献。首先，它反映了如何享受《庄子》所设想的自由。许多讨论都欢迎庄子描绘的脱离典型愿景塑造的生活的画面，而不考虑没有这些驱动愿景的生活。考虑一下这个场景：在一个充满无限可能的世界里，不知道如何解释情况会不会令人担忧？我认为，只有成功地将自己重新定位到新的“常态” ，庄子中的自由才有可能。二、我介绍和发展工作理念有约束。这侧重于代理最大化相关条件之间的拟合，一方面，以及他们的能力，另一方面。最后，我建议自我指导的实践，一种重要的能动性表达，是建立能够实现这种自由的能力所必需的。我审视了这些第一手经验所涉及的风险概念，阐述了对来之不易的庄子自由核心的能动性的描述。