On Xu Fuguan’s "Rediscovery" Of Chuang-Tzu

As a representative figure of Modern Neo Confucianism,Xu Fuguan devoted much effort to Taoist figure Chuang-tzu.He made repeated researches and made pioneering contributions.In the book of Chiese artistic spirit,Xu Fuguan called his results as "The rediscovery of Chuang-tzu",which means that he has had two "discoveries" on Chuang-tzu.Something that can be called "discovery" must have been undiscovered by predecessors.What can be called "rediscovery" must have been changed significantly two times.If only to deepen the general and not changed greatly,with his rigorous academic attitude,he will not use this eye-catching title.For the convenience of the study,we called the first "discovery" as "early discovery".What is the "first discovery" ? What is the "rediscovery" ? What major changes have taken place in these two discovery? What is the significance of finding these changes? This article tries to solve these problems.This paper point out that the "early discovered" of Chuang-tzu found that Chuang-tzu inherited Lao Tzu "Tao" and changed the objectivity of "Tao" into the subjectivity of "Tao",that change the metaphysical character of "Tao" to slience "heart".With the discovery of Chuang-tzu’s slience "heart",the Taoist can set the value of life on the heart and nature of the specific person.Xu Fuguan,based on the theory of human nature,clarified Chuang-tzu’s succession and development of Lao Tzu’s theory of human nature,creatively expounded Chuang-tzu’s concept of mind and widened the realm of life from Lao Tzu.Xu Fuguan’s "rediscovery" of Chuang-tzu is further explored in the early detection of "Chuang-tzu’s empty heart".It is found that Chuang-tzu’s empty heart is the main body of Western so-called "artistic spirit",and it is the root of Western so-called "artistic value".Hagel believes that the absolute spirit negates the bondage of nature in the natural stage and revert to itself,which is the highest stage of its development.At this stage,the absolute spirit knows itself through three forms of art,philosophy and religion.Xu Fuguan’s rediscovery of Chuang-tzu is essentially thediscovery of Chuang-tzu’s philosophy and art life which has never been found in traditional Chinese academic history.Xu Fuguan’s rediscovery of Chuang-tzu,through the Chinese traditional theory of mind,puts forth the artistic spirit and aesthetic idea of China and excavated the artistic value of Chinese culture.Xu Fuguan unified the Confucianism and Taoism on the mind,Which become the subject of moral,artistic,cultural and the root of Chinese culture.This provides a good explanation for the relationship between Confucianism and Taoism,the official and the hidden in Chinese culture.Moreover,in this root area,there is no opposition between the host and the guest,no personality and group antagonism.When the personal personality is completed,it also involves the integration of the universe and society.This is the biggest feature of Chinese culture.Xu Fuguan’s rediscovery of Chuang-tzu not only established Chuang-tzu’s position in the history of Chinese aesthetics,widened the orientation of the study of the dynasties,but also made a distinction between Zhuang and Zen from the root of theories.In a word,Xu Fuguan’s rediscovery of Chuang-tzu made a pioneering contribution in the history of academic thought.