The Study On The Concept Of Life And Death Of Chuang-tzu

Life and death has long been a topic that is discussed by not only Chinese but also foreigners, no matter in ancient times or the modern ones. This topic is also one of the core issues of Chuang-tzu, which sees the topic from a unique perspective. In the first part of the paper, it will be indicated that, according to the current situation in this field, studies on the topic are not sufficient and deep enough, and this topic requires further and deeper study. In the second part, the method of study this topic is established, that is, regarding the whole Chuang-tzu as the object and self-justification as the purpose, choosing the relevant chapters that are based on the key words - life and death, and putting aside or avoiding three issues:the relationships between Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu, the historical background of the topic’s cause, and the concepts of Western philosophy.In the third part of the paper, after establishing the method of studying and based on the studies, this topic in Chuang-tzu can be divided into three parts:translating itself into other things, eternal "I", and human nature have no emotions of right and wrong. Translating itself into other things means the transferring and transforming of different forms that based on the "Qi"; Eternal "I" means that these different forms have their own willing of being. Human nature have no emotions of right and wrong means that these forms, especially humans, their natures would not discriminate birth and death.According to the previous parts that have discussed, in the fourth parter, there are three reasons for people to see through birth and death from Chuang-tzu:the inevitability of birth and death, the transformation and dialectivity of life and death, and the eternal "I". These three reasons are not corresponding to the three parts of life and death in Chuang-tzu. At the last part of the paper, these three reasons are evaluated, in order to indicate that these three reasons are not necessarily helpful for people to see through the life and death, or not to think about it again.