Liberation as Affirmation: The Religiosity of Zhuangzi and Nietzsche (SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture)

__Uses the concept of religiosity to challenge traditional views of Nietzsche and Zhuangzi as nihilistic and anti-religious.__ In This Book, Author Ge Ling Shang Provides A Systematic Comparison Of Original Texts By Zhuangzi (fourth Century B.c.e.) And Nietzsche (1846-1900), Under The Rubric Of Religiosity, To Challenge Those Who Have Customarily Relegated Both Thinkers To Relativism, Nihilism, Escapism, Pessimism, Or Anti-religion.--jacket. Ch. 1. Introduction -- Reinterpreting Zhuangzi And Nietzsche -- Perspective On Comparative Philosophy -- Method And Plan -- Ch. 2. Zhuangzi's Dao : A Way Of Freedom -- The Concept Of Dao In Early Chinese History -- Wuwu : A Deconstruction Of Metaphysical Perspectives Of Dao -- Dao Throughs As One -- Wuzhi : Equalizing Opinions Is The Way Of True Knowledge -- Language Without Words : Beyond Language And Silence -- Wuwei Or Non-doing : Against The Tradition Of Morality -- Xiao Yao You : A Spiritual Freedom Realized In This World -- Ch. 3. Nietzsche's Philosophy Of Life Affirmation -- Nietzsche's Mission : Revaluation Of All Values -- Genealogy : A New Way Of Philosophizing -- Truth, Knowledge, And Morals -- Metaphysics As A Symptom Of Human Decadence -- Truths As Lies And Will To Truth As Ascetic Ideal -- Language And Truth -- Does Nietzsche Renounce The Existence Of Truth? -- A Genealogical Critique Of Morality -- Overcoming Metaphysics -- The World Of Appearances And The Will To Power -- Religiosity : Liberation As Life Affirmation -- Ch. 4. An Interplay Between Zhuangzi And Nietzsche -- Goblet Words And Dionysian Dithyramb -- Truth, Knowledge, And Interpretation -- Revaluation And Devaluation : Beyond Good And Evil -- Nature As Primary Unity -- True Person And Ubermensch : Living In The World -- Ziran And Freedom : Life Affirmation -- Further Reflections On Differences Between Zhuangzi And Nietzsche -- Ch. 5. Converging New Worlds : Zhuangzi, Nietzsche, And Contemporary Philosophy -- Affirmation After Deconstruction : Zhuangzi And Nietzsche Challenge Postmodern Solutions -- The Liberation Of Thought : Zhuangzi And Nietzsche In Contemporary China -- Philosophical Religiosity. Ge Ling Shang. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 181-188) And Index. LIBERATION AS AFFIRMATION 4 CONTENTS 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 10 1. INTRODUCTION 12 REINTERPRETING ZHUANGZI AND NIETZSCHE 13 PERSPECTIVE ON COMPARATIVE PHILOSOPHY 15 METHOD AND PLAN 16 2. ZHUANGZI’S DAO: A WAY OF FREEDOM 20 THE CONCEPT OF DAO IN EARLY CHINESE HISTORY 22 WUWU: A DECONSTRUCTION OF METAPHYSICAL PERSPECTIVES OF DAO 26 DAO THROUGHS AS ONE 34 WUZHI: EQUALIZING OPINIONS IS THE WAY OF TRUE KNOWLEDGE 40 LANGUAGE WITHOUT WORDS: BEYOND LANGUAGE AND SILENCE 48 WUWEI OR NON-DOING: AGAINST THE TRADITION OF MORALITY 57 XIAO YAO YOU: A SPIRITUAL FREEDOM REALIZED IN THIS WORLD 63 3. NIETZSCHE’S PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE AFFIRMATION 70 NIETZSCHE’S MISSION: REVALUATION OF ALL VALUES 71 GENEALOGY: A NEW WAY OF PHILOSOPHIZING 78 TRUTH, KNOWLEDGE, AND MORALS 82 Metaphysics as a Symptom of Human Decadence 83 Truths as Lies and Will to Truth as Ascetic Ideal 87 Language and Truth 89 Does Nietzsche Renounce the Existence of Truth? 90 A Genealogical Critique of Morality 91 Overcoming Metaphysics 94 TRUTH, KNOWLEDGE, AND MORALS 82 THE WORLD OF APPEARANCES AND THE WILL TO POWER 97 RELIGIOSITY: LIBERATION AS LIFE AFFIRMATION 104 4. AN INTERPLAY BETWEEN ZHUANGZI AND NIETZSCHE 114 GOBLET WORDS AND DIONYSIAN DITHYRAMB 115 TRUTH, KNOWLEDGE, AND INTERPRETATION 119 REVALUATION AND DEVALUATION: BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL 124 NATURE AS PRIMAL UNITY 129 TRUE PERSON AND ÜBERMENSCH: LIVING IN THE WORLD 136 ZIRAN AND FREEDOM: LIFE AFFIRMATION 142 FURTHER REFLECTIONS ON DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ZHUANGZI AND NIETZSCHE 145 5. CONVERGING NEW WORLDS: ZHUANGZI,NIETZSCHE, AND CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHY 147 AFFIRMATION AFTER DECONSTRUCTION: ZHUANGZI AND NIETZSCHE CHALLENGE POSTMODERN SOLUTIONS 149 THE LIBERATION OF THOUGHT: ZHUANGZI AND NIETZSCHE IN CONTEMPORARY CHINA 157 PHILOSOPHICAL RELIGIOSITY 164 NOTES 176 SELECTED REFERENCES 192 INDEX 200 A 200 B 200 C 201 D 201 E 202 F 202 G 202 H 203 I 203 J 203 K 203 L 203 M 204 N 204 O 205 P 205 Q 205 R 205 S 206 T 206 U 207 V 207 W 207 X 208 Y 208 Z 208 In this book, author Ge Ling Shang provides a systematic comparison of original texts by Zhuangzi (fourth century BCE) and Nietzsche (1846–1900), under the rubric of religiosity, to challenge those who have customarily relegated both thinkers to relativism, nihilism, escapism, pessimism, or anti-religion. Shang closely examines Zhuangzi's and Nietzsche's respective critiques of metaphysics, morals, language, knowledge, and humanity in general and proposes a conception of the philosophical outlooks of Zhuangzi and Nietzsche as complementary. In the creative and vital spirit of Nietzsche, as in the tranquil and inward spirit of Zhuangzi, Shang argues that a surprisingly similar vision and aspiration toward human liberation and freedom exists—one in which spiritual transformation is possible by religiously affirming life in this world as sacred and divine.