A Comparative Study Of Zhuangzi’s "Xiaoyao" And Kant’ "Freedom"

Since the Economic Reform and open up,with the influence of western thoughts and the development of economy and society,freedom has become more and more important as value orientation of the public,and has therefore been written into the core values of the country as a measure of social development and progress.However the general public’s understanding of freedom is vague and pluralistic,and more attention is placed on the side of freedom as a right,ignoring the side of freedom as a spiritual pursuit,and the moral requirements of freedom for members of society.So we need to go to the classical theories of freedom to understand the true meaning of freedom.Kant’s theory of free combines freedom with moral self-discipline to improve the overall moral level of society through individual practice of morality,which is most beneficial to the development and progress of our society today.It is only a place where foreign thoughts and our way of thinking are not always in harmony with each other.Kant points to the"freedom"of the group and the process,but lacks the attention to the individual and the ultimate spiritual realm,while our native philosopher Zhuangzi’s"xiaoyao"(逍遥)’s aim is also the pursuit of spiritual freedom,but pays more attention to the individual’s understanding of life and the final spiritual realm.It guides us to discover our own non-restraint nature and release the shackles of life’s emotions and desires,In return to nature to obtain truly non-restraint freedom.Kant’s"freedom"reflects the difference from"xiaoyao"(逍遥)in the ontology and practical view."Freedom"is biased towards the practice of the material world and seeks the moral progress of society,while"xiaoyao"(逍遥)focuses on the soul of the individual spiritual world status.In terms of practical results,both of them failed due to the split between the mind and the body.However,both theories have incomparable advantages to China today,and a comparative study of the two will help us construct a new concept of freedom that takes into account the requirements of social development and the pursuit of personal spirituality.