莊子哲學：氣化本體論與視角主義

The philosophy of Zhuangzi is a crucial contribution not just to the Daoist tradition, but also to the Chinese intellectual tradition as a whole. Its depth in the inquiry into the human existence, mind and language, ontology and knowledge, morality and justice, is widely recognized as the most philosophical among his peers in the pre-Qin period. The purpose of this course is to lead the students to go deeply into the frontier of studies on the philosophy of Zhuangzi. In this seminar, we will focus on the intersection of metaphysics and epistemology in Zhuangzi’s philosophy. In particular, there is a tension in the ontology of Qi and the epistemology of perspectivism in Zhuangzi’s philosophical thinking. On the one hand, Zhuangzi obviously conceives of the natural world as constituted by some basic stuff called “Qi”. On the other hand, Zhuangzi acutely reminds us of our inevitably occupying a specific perspective from which we access the reality and by which we are fundamentally limited in our grasp of the natural world. There arises an evidently critical tension between an ontological assertion about Qi and an epistemological humility inherent in epistemic perspectivism, both of which are advocated by Zhuangzi but it is unclear how this tension can be resolved. In this seminar, we aim to inquire how to resolve this tension by undertaking the following three tasks: 1) How do contemporary scholars who work in the area of Zhuangzi’s philosophy deal with this tension? What can we learn from their successes and failures? 2) There is a counterpart tension in the Western philosophical tradition, represented by Kant, who has sharply noted a conflict between what there is in the world (noumena) and what can be accessed by us (phenomena). This tension is picked up and addressed by some prominent philosophers of science such as van Fraassen, Giere, and Massimi. What may we learn from their insights and inadequacies? 3) Zhuangzi makes intriguing claims, that there is a genuine human prior to true knowledge 「先有真人而後有真知」, and that skills come close to Dao 「技近於道」, which taken together seem to signify that bodily skills and practices of some sort are crucial to the possibility of our getting in touch with the ultimate reality. Is there any chance where we can make sense of this significance in a contemporary context? This course is designed according to the above three tasks. It consists of four elements: a) Reading and discussing philosophical works in the study of Zhuangzi and Philosophy of Science b) A series of three Tai Ch teachings led by Chinese medical doctor 林北溟醫師 c) A one-day workshop to figure prominent scholars and practitioners in the domains of Western and Eastern philosophy, medicine, and martial arts. d) An invited lecture by 張懿欣教授on the logic and science of fortune telling in Purple Star Astrology 紫葳斗數 from the perspectives of Zhuangzi, where we will critically examine whether and how the classic study of destiny, considered as one of five arts in the Chinese tradition of metaphysics, reveals to us reality about what has not yet happened to a person’s fate. This peculiar domain of knowledge will be approached both technically and philosophically.

Term paper: 50% Participation, practice, and discussion: 50%

Reading materials to be assigned in class.

地點

Zhi-Xing Building, Office 329

時間

by appointment

聯絡方式

kcheng1970@nycu.edu.tw