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Liberation as Affirmation: The Religiosity of Zhuangzi and Nietzsche »

Authors: Ge Ling Shang, Shang GE Ling, Roger T. Ames
ISBN-13: 9780791466674, ISBN-10: 0791466671
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Date Published: March 2006
Edition: (Non-applicable)

Author Biography: Ge Ling Shang

Book Synopsis

In this book, author Ge Ling Shang provides a systematic comparison of original texts by Zhuangzi (fourth century B.C.E.) and Nietzsche (1846-1900), under the rubric of religiosity, to challenge those who have customarily relegated both thinkers to relativism, nihilism, escapism, pessimism, or anti-religion.

Ch. 1	Introduction	1
	Reinterpreting Zhuangzi and Nietzsche	2
	Perspective on comparative philosophy	4
	Method and plan	5
Ch. 2	Zhuangzi's Dao : a way of freedom	9
	The concept of Dao in early Chinese history	11
	Wuwu : a deconstruction of metaphysical perspectives of Dao	15
	Dao throughs as one	23
	Wuzhi : equalizing opinions is the way of true knowledge	29
	Language without words : beyond language and silence	37
	Wuwei or non-doing : against the tradition of morality	46
	Xiao Yao You : a spiritual freedom realized in this world	52
Ch. 3	Nietzsche's philosophy of life affirmation	59
	Nietzsche's mission : revaluation of all values	60
	Genealogy : a new way of philosophizing	67
	Truth, knowledge, and morals	71
	Metaphysics as a symptom of human decadence	72
	Truths as lies and will to truth as ascetic ideal	76
	Language and truth	78
	Does Nietzsche renounce the existence of truth?	79
	A genealogical critique of morality	80
	Overcoming metaphysics	83
	The world of appearances and the will to power	86
	Religiosity : liberation as life affirmation	93
Ch. 4	An interplay between Zhuangzi and Nietzsche	103
	Goblet words and Dionysian Dithyramb	104
	Truth, knowledge, and interpretation	108
	Revaluation and devaluation : beyond good and evil	113
	Nature as primary unity	118
	True person and Ubermensch : living in the world	125
	Ziran and freedom : life affirmation	131
	Further reflections on differences between Zhuangzi and Nietzsche	134
Ch. 5	Converging new worlds : Zhuangzi, Nietzsche, and contemporary philosophy	137
	Affirmation after deconstruction : Zhuangzi and Nietzsche challenge postmodern solutions	138
	The liberation of thought : Zhuangzi and Nietzsche in contemporary China	146
	Philosophical religiosity	153