Linguistic Strategies in Daoist Zhuangzi and Chan Buddhism : The Other Way of Speaking

As the first systematic attempt to probe the linguistic strategies of Daoist Zhuangzi and Chan Buddhism, this book investigates three areas: deconstructive strategy, liminology of language, and indirect communication. It bases these investigations on the critical examination of original texts, placing them strictly within soteriological contexts. Whilst focusing on language use, the study also reveals some important truths about these two traditions and challenges many conventional understandings of them. Responding to recent critiques of Daoist and Chan Buddhist thought, it brings these two traditions into a constructive dialogue with contemporary philosophical reflection. It discovers Zhuangzian and Chan perspectives and sheds light on issues such as the relationship between philosophy and non-philosophy, de-reification of words, relativising the limit of language, structure of indirect communication, and use of paradox, tautology and poetic language. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Abbreviations......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 Deconstruction in the Zhuangzi and in Chan Buddhism......Page 30 Understanding deconstruction through the Zhuangzi and Chan......Page 32 Zhuangzi's dao deconstructs and Zhuangzi deconstructs his dao......Page 43 The deconstruction of Buddha nature in Chan Buddhism......Page 65 The liminology of language in the Zhuangzi and in Chan Buddhism......Page 94 What is a liminology of language?......Page 96 Zhuangzi's liminology of ~speaking non-speaking~......Page 108 The Chan contribution to the liminology of language......Page 122 Pragmatics of indirect communication in the Zhuangzi and in Chan Buddhism......Page 136 The displacement of indirect communication......Page 138 The pragmatics of ~goblet words~: indirect communication in the Zhuangzi......Page 152 The pragmatics of ~never tell too plainly~: indirect communication in Chan......Page 174 Concluding remarks......Page 200 Notes......Page 205 Glossary......Page 236 Bibliography......Page 244 Index......Page 258 Humanities Book Cover 1 Title 4 Contents 5 Acknowledgments 10 Abbreviations 12 Introduction 14 Deconstruction in the Zhuangzi and in Chan Buddhism 30 Understanding deconstruction through the Zhuangzi and Chan 32 Zhuangzi's dao deconstructs and Zhuangzi deconstructs his dao 43 The deconstruction of Buddha nature in Chan Buddhism 65 The liminology of language in the Zhuangzi and in Chan Buddhism 94 What is a liminology of language? 96 Zhuangzi's liminology of ~speaking non-speaking~ 108 The Chan contribution to the liminology of language 122 Pragmatics of indirect communication in the Zhuangzi and in Chan Buddhism 136 The displacement of indirect communication 138 The pragmatics of ~goblet words~: indirect communication in the Zhuangzi 152 The pragmatics of ~never tell too plainly~: indirect communication in Chan 174 Concluding remarks 200 Notes 205 Glossary 236 Bibliography 244 Index 258 "While focusing on language use, the study also reveals some important truths about the two traditions, and the challenges many conventional understandings of them. Responding to recent critiques of Daoist and Chan Buddhist thought, it brings these traditions into a constructive dialogue with contemporary philosophical reflection. It "discovers" Zhuangzian and Chan perspectives and sheds light on issues such as the relationship between philosophy and non-philosophy, de-reification of words, relativizing of the limit of language, structure of indirect communication, and use of double negation, paradox, tautology, irony, and poetic language."--Jacket Whilst focusing on language use, the study reveals some important truths about Daoist Zhuangzi and Chan Buddhism and challenges many conventional understandings of them. Youru Wang. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 231-244) And Index.