Zhou Zuoren And Taoism

Based on Taoism the author of the article makes a general study of the close relationship between Zhou Zuoren and the traditional culture of China. Zhou Zuoren was a traditional intellectual and impacted by the traditional culture deeply and he was especially interested in Taoism. Therefore, from the pespective of Taoism we may make a clear insight into Zhou Zuoren.The author of the article discusses the close relationship between Zhou Zuoren and Taoism from three facts, which is Human study, Life and Aesthetics, and then reveals an important source of Zhou Zuoren's thought.On Human study, Zhou Zuoren accepted the theory of human nature and the ethics of Taoism, and constructed the Utopia. In Taoism, Dao comply with the nature, so they think human nature and the ethics should also base on the natural operation and people should comply with the laws of their own. It is a kind of primitive individualism. And it is also the most important reason why Zhou Zuoren liked Taoism. So Zhou Zuoren's theory of human nature and the ethics were also based on the natural operation. To prove the correctness of the theory, they imagined an ideal society, and that was Utopia. Taoist's Utopia is primitive society, and Zhou Zuoren's Utopia is New Country. Although the two Utopias are thousands of years apart, they are substantially the same. This futher indicates that Zhou Zuoren had absorpted Taoism.On life point, Zhou Zuoren accepted the idea of cherishing life, seclusion and happy life. Taoist think life is the most important of all and people should lead a happy life. Death is a part of life and it is unnesessary to fear.Seclusion can make life safe. There is no vexation and gloom in happy life. Zhou Zuoren thought cherishing life was a kind of modern humanism, so he liked and accepted it. He also cherished life, and had ever led a secluded life. He also advocated leisure life. This kind of life point indeed made his life safe, but it also led him to experience a unique life. His betraying the motherland was related to his life point.On aesthetics, Zhou Zuoren inherited and carried forword the idea of aesthetic point of view and style of Taoism. They regarded nature, authenticity and simplicity as beauty. Nature is core of Taoism. So Taosit consider nature as beauty. Authenticity and simplicity are the state of nature, so they are also considered as beauty. Zhou Zuoren's life and art showed the view and the style ofTaoism. Zhou Zuoren loved the nature and he often wrote them in his proses. He adocated perzonlized literature which was indeed authentic. His feeling was cool, and his proses were simple, which made modern proses more mature.Zhou Zuoren's thought is very complex, so it is difficulty to understand him fully and exactly. From the pespective of Taoism, we also only understand an aspect of Zhou Zuoren; however, it is good for us to further understand him.