The Ideal World Of Zhuangzi

The paper focuses on discussing the ideal world of Zhuangzi, revealing his unique design and persistent pursuit for ideals.Ideal, as an important category of philosophy, refers to people's assumption and conception building on how the future state of the specific target should be. To this point, ideal doesn't fall into an "as it is" category, but an "as it ought to be" one. As a conceptual form, ideal is by no means without foundation; it comes from reality, takes basis on the criticism and negative evaluation of the reality, at the same time , it is also beyond reality, inwardly contains the value-orientation of the builder. Just as reality does not mean all existing things, the ideal is not referring to all members of the concepts and ideas. Generally speaking, if concept and assumption are to achieve the ideal form, it must have three basic elements: to reflect the realistic possibility, embody people's humane desire, and use imagination to conceive it out. It is requisite to point out that the ideal is not fixed and unchangeable once it has formed, but stretches and realizes in the process. It can serve to promote social progress, strengthen national cohesion and enhance the spiritual realm of the individual. It is for this reason that people continue to praise ideals and pursue ideals.In Chinese history, every influential thinker will put forward characteristic ideals according to his different understanding about the reality. Zhuangzi is one of these famous thinkers. As the great philosopher in Pre-Qin period, Zhuangzi differs from the other thinkers with his larruping personality and profound thought. He resigns to live as recluse and keep away from the society, which looks as if he is short of the life pursuit and the social sense of responsibility, but in fact he does not forget the society and life, expresses his ideal and shows his concern to the society and earthling through works.As to the causing reason, Zhuangzi's ideal results from the exposure of the dark reality. In comparison to Confucianism and Mozism from the viewpoint of society, Zhuangzi's field of vision broadens and his understanding is also more profound when he inspects the nature, society and life on the basis of cosmos. Zhuangzi points out that human's reckless behavior caused the unbalance of relations between the nature and human beings. He criticizes the reality that the civilization on rite and righteousness brought about the alienation of human nature. He severely denounces the political diseases from the common customs and traditions. He attacks the falseness and the harmfulness of rigid moralization. He condemns that common people harmed their own lives because of pursuing exterior fame and gain. Criticizing the reality demonstrates the function of Zhuangzi's ideal from the negative aspect, on the other hand conducting the society and the life indicates the value of Zhuangzi's ideal from the positive aspect. Zhuangzi sincerely wishes that human beings are able to adapt to natural principle, abandon reckless behavior and achieve the perfect condition of equality, harmoniousness and integration between the nature and human beings. He declares that the ruling monarch keeps quiet and has few desires, discards rite and law, let people act according to their nature, finally realizes the ideal society like "era of supreme virtue". He advises common people to eliminate sensory greed, conserve honest nature and try their best to achieve ideal personality.As far as the inner relation of Zhuangzi's ideal is concerned, reasonable relation between Nature and Human is the logical premise of realizing the ideal society and personality. If the relation between the Nature and Human lacks of balance, the basis for the ideal society and personality's existence would disappear. Of course it isn't Zhuangzi's fundamental purpose to construct the reasonable relation between the Nature and Human beings but realize the ideal society and personality. The ideal society covers mainly human beings and all members must do their best to realize it together, yet ideal personality concerns the individual and the realization depends on everyone's training. Confucianist and Mozist stresses groups, otherwise Zhuangzi shows emphasis on the individual. Therefore he prefers ideal personality to ideal society and he thinks that the former is the security of the latter and the latter is the purpose of the former. As for Zhuangzi, it is his ultimate pursuit to be carefree in his life and achieve ideal personality. When Zhuangzi prefers living a poor and free life to obtaining high official with big salary easily, it indicates that he turns his ideal to his conviction and put it into practice so that he achieves the integration of learning, theorizing and conducting.In fact, there are some flaws in Zhuangzi's ideals above, on the one hand his disclosure and criticism of the civilization abuse put up the tendency that completely negates the human civilization, on the other hand his ideals always become fanciness due to disobeying the social development law and the human nature development trend. But there are some positive sides in Zhuangzi's thoughts, for example, to maintain the independent personality, attach importance to the individual life value and pursue the spiritual freedom. The theoretical wisdom and thought resource included in Zhuangzi's ideals still have some enlightening meaning for us to rebuild the balanceable relation of nature and human, carry out the conversion from the traditional personality to modern personality and set up the harmonious society.