Chuang Tzŭ

Chuang Tzŭ belongs to the third and fourth centuries before Christ. He lived in the feudal age, when China was split up into a number of States owning a nominal allegiance to the royal, and weakly, House of Chou. This book is the second most important book of taoism and one of the most importants from the whole ancient philosophy of China. Chuang Tzŭ embraces a wide range of subjects, from politics to consciousness. You can find the famous story of the "butterfly dream" on...
More Description

Chuang Tzŭ belongs to the third and fourth centuries before Christ. He lived in the feudal age, when China was split up into a number of States owning a nominal allegiance to the royal, and weakly, House of Chou. This book is the second most important book of taoism and one of the most importants from the whole ancient philosophy of China. Chuang Tzŭ embraces a wide range of subjects, from politics to consciousness. You can find the famous story of the "butterfly dream" on episode II:"Once upon a time, I, Chuang Tzŭ, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of following my fancies as a butterfly, and was unconscious of my individuality as a man. Suddenly, I awaked, and there I lay, myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man. [...]". In this edition you will also find the comments of the translator Herbert Allen Giles through the book to help you understand each part of it. Giles was a British diplomat and sinologist. He was professor of Chinese at the University of Cambridge for 35 years. Among his many other works were translations of the Analects of Confucius, the Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching), and, in 1892, the widely published A Chinese-English Dictionary.