Zhuangzi Text and Context

Zhuangzi Text and Context by Livia Kohn, published by Three Pines Press in 2014, offers a comprehensive discussion of the ancient Daoist work Zhuangzi across 24 chapters. This edition, consisting of 330 pages, provides a chronologically-based outline of the text’s context, tracing its compilation and its relevance in contemporary discussions, including ecology. The book presents a systematic interpretation of central concepts ranging from perfect happiness to playful uselessness, integrating a wide array of original and secondary sources.

Readers will find an in-depth examination of the history and ideas surrounding Zhuangzi, contextualized both within China and across cultures. The work relates key notions and practices from Zhuangzi to modern scientific fields such as physics, biology, and psychology. This scholarly approach makes it a valuable resource for those interested in the intersections of history, philosophy, and religion, particularly within the framework of Taoism and Eastern thought.