Chuang Tzu: World Philosopher at Play

Dust jacket notes: "Western studies of Taoism generally have fallen into two classes. One is the formal academic study of the subject employing objectivizing methods of history, philology, anthropology, and the like. The other consists of less formal reflections on Taoism from the standpoint of one's own personal encounters, as in the writings of the nineteenth-century travelers and more recently thinkers such as Thomas Merton and John Blofeld. Professor Wu's Chuang Tzu: World Philosopher at Play is in a meritorious class by itself. Much the way Professor McKeon has presented Aristotle for the last generation, its aim is to present Chuang Tzu's Taoism as a contemporary cultural option as well as classic position. With both objectivizing academic tools and personal experience as important background elements, Professor Wu provides an interpretation of contemporary culture that takes its hermeneutic horizon from Chuang Tzu. Furthermore, he offers solutions which owe their main inspiration to Chuang Tzu. And these two acts of normative reflection - interpreting our culture and offering cultural solutions - provide Professor Wu's keys for his unique presentation of Chuang Tzu."