Zhuangzi’s conception of true happiness

• Main Author: Wong, Felicia Rui Ting
• Other Authors: Li Chenyang
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Humanities::Philosophy::Chinese
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/73526
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Zhuangzi has presented some seemingly conflicting passages on emotions, leading to a tension in his conception of happiness. Some scholars argue that Zhuangzi’s happiness does not take into account emotions, while others disagree. The purpose of this paper is to address the tension through textual analysis. I do not believe that Zhuangzi is advocating for the absolute emotional detachment from human affairs. Instead, I argue that Zhuangzi uses such seemingly contradictory attitudes so as to progressively guide his readers towards a better understanding of his conception of happiness that requires non-action to attain it. Zhuangzi explains that our emotions are usually based on our fixed perspective and specific preferences. He highlights the importance of constantly changing perspectives so that we can gain a sense of happiness. However, this happiness is not true happiness, which requires non-action. Zhuangzi’s sense of true happiness can be described as the ideal life characterised by “free and easy wandering,” the total freedom of thoughts, expressions and movement when one is in harmony with the Dao. True happiness is thus the feeling of having total freedom in terms of thoughts, expressions and movement when one lives in accordance to the Dao through non-action.