Qian Mu's Research On Zhuangzi

Qian Mu(钱穆,1895～1990) was a great historian and also an erudite confucianist. The main focus of his research was the history of the Chinese academic and thinking as well as the cultural development.Because of that,his historical studies were considered the research of the history of the Chinese culture.He was greatly praised for his academic accomplishment in the course of his 96-years life.The most powerful tool that he used through-out his academic life was the "textual research".He also based on such tool for his research in the areas of the philosophy of the great thinkers in Chinese history.The formation and research method of his historical research were very unique compared to others of his time,they were basically based on the ideas of the textual research and criticism formed in Ming and Qing Dynasties,but he did not totally accept all of other's ideas without his own.His books of Xian Qin Zhu Zi Xi Nian Kao Bian(《先秦诸子系年考辨》)-The Chronological Examination and Clarification of The Ancient Scholars Before Qin Dynasty),Zhuangzi Zuan Jian(《庄子纂笺》-The Annotations of Zhuangzi),and Zhuang Lao Tong Bian(《庄考通辨》-Memos on Understanding Zhuangzi and Laozi) were all great works of his collective methods through textual research,the finding of the principles and meanings in history,and the investigation of the literary compositions.Regarding the long time un-solved historical question or argument of whether Laozi was a book written after Zhuangzi,Qian Mu didn't just accept what traditionally everybody else believed,but from a different point of view in new and more scientific approach with more detailed discussions to suggest that Laozi was written after Zhuangzi.Qian Mu collated Zhuangzi and Laozi side by side with an experimental and unique method to lay out many details and insightfully explain his findings in their probable relationships and the developments of many of their different ideas in time line by examining them word by word,phase by phase,the words and phases in the contexts of their works,and their historical background for which ideas or terms would be the originals and the others would be the further developments of the original ones.Based on the spirits of the "rules-to-govern" and "for-practical-purpose" of the Confucians,Qian Mu tried to understand and explain Zhuangzi from the angle of a confucianist.As Qian Mu had always believed in the value of the Chinese traditional culture,he insisted the way to understand and annotate Zhuangzi in a historical point of view with kindness and humanity.One of the main reasons that Qian Mu managed to study Zhuangzi was because he was living in the time of wars and a politically unstable period.Many people's lives were under unbearable hardship and danger.It was similar to that he had found a religion and great spiritual supports through the studies of the philosophies of Zhuangzi and Laozi in such difficult time.Qian Mu deeply believed that the purpose of any research upon the traditional academic thinking was to "save-the-world" and "for-use".So the findings of such studies of the humanity and cultural ideas should be put to use to carry on human lives to better places-to give new meanings to human in their daily lives.All that would be able to help people to look beyond the situation they confront from a new angle through the eyes and mind of the Taoist.Although the discovery and un-earth of the bamboo scrolls of Laozi in Guo Dian Tomb(郭店楚墓) of the period of the Warring States had proven that the written of Laozi was surely before Zhuangzi and Qian Mu had failed to prove what he thought was correct in his research.Qian Mu is still highly applauded on the value and achievement of his research and annotations of Zhuangzi by many important and outstanding scholars.His effort was affirmatively approved and evaluated.He had found his historical position in such area and always has his positive influence in the history of the Chinese academic and cultural research.