Person

Zhuangzi

c. 369–286 BCE · 4th century BCE · Also known as Zhuang Zhou

Zhuangzi (Zhuang Zhou) was a Daoist philosopher of the 4th century BCE, a native of the State of Song. The book named after him, with the Laozi a founding text of Daoism, uses parable and paradox to question fixed values and celebrate spontaneity, as in his dream of being a butterfly. It strongly shaped later Chinese literature, the 'pure conversation' of the Jin aristocracy and Chan Buddhism.

Zhuangzi
Image: Hua Zili (華祖立) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Eastern JinSocioeconomyClassical ChineseOrigins, Literature, SummaryDaoismOrigins, Beliefs, Texts, Summary

Mentioned in 1 state history

State of Song

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Zhuangzi. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zhuangzi
MLA
“Zhuangzi.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zhuangzi. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Zhuangzi.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zhuangzi.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Zhuangzi’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/zhuangzi (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻