The Analysis of the Practical Significance of Design Philosophies in Zhuangzi

摘要

The thoughts of Zhuangzi are mainly reflected in the book Zhuangzi. As the chapter "Under the Heaven" wrote, "People were lost to the pleasures of the material wealth and could not be argued with or reasoned with." Zhuangzi said he himself "developed speeches with daily random words, respected quotations from sages and illustrated with fables." The marvelous and elusive words of Zhuangzi express his reflections on life and politics. His articles are full of philosophic thoughts. "Reveal the philosophy of man and objects" is the essence of Chinese ancient wisdom. Because Zhuangzi was concerned about social conventions and reality, some views and elaborations about artifacts and design can also be found in his thoughts, which are important components of Chinese traditional design philosophies. This paper briefly analyzes the important design philosophies implied in Zhuangzi.