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Zhuangzi

c. 369-286 BCE · Meng, in the state of Song (Shangqiu, Henan, China)

Zhuangzi, Zhuang Zhou of Meng, carried the teaching of the Dao into parable and paradox. His book tells of a man who dreamed he was a butterfly and woke unsure which of them was dreaming, of a useless tree that survives because no one can use it, and of Cook Ding, whose blade never dulls because it moves where there is no resistance. Where Laozi addressed rulers, Zhuangzi addressed the captive mind, and his chapters became the tradition's book of freedom.

Tagged: Daoism Philosophical Daoism

The Event

Date
c. 369-286 BCE (exact)
Also called
Zhuang Zhou, Chuang Tzu
Era
The Early Masters; Standard periodization of Daoist history
Location
Meng, in the state of Song; today Shangqiu, Henan, China
Traditions
Daoism
Streams
Philosophical Daoism
Key figures
Zhuangzi
Key texts
Zhuangzi

Connections

Illustration for Laozi (traditional) History Event Laozi (traditional) c. 4th-3rd century BCE follows from

Primary Sources

  • The Zhuangzi.

Secondary Sources

  • Kirkland, Russell. Taoism: The Enduring Tradition. Routledge, 2004.
  • Robinet, Isabelle. Taoism: Growth of a Religion. Translated by Phyllis Brooks, Stanford University Press, 1997.

Provenance: HIST-0802; confidence 0.95; accessed 2026-10-28.

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