Genuine Pretending: On the Philosophy of the Zhuangzi

255 Pages·2017·2.51 MB·English

by  Hans-Georg Moeller

GENUINE PRETENDING
HANS-GEORG MOELLER & PAUL J.
D’AMBROSIO
GENUINE PRETENDING
ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE ZHUANGZI
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS New York
Columbia University Press Publishers Since 1893
New York Chichester, West Sussex cup.columbia.edu

Copyright © 2017 Columbia University Press
All rights reserved
E-ISBN 978-0-231-54526-6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Moeller, Hans-Georg, 1964– author. | D’Ambrosio, Paul J., author.
Title: Genuine pretending : on the philosophy of the Zhuangzi / Hans-Georg Moeller and Paul J.
D’Ambrosio.
Description: New York : Columbia University Press, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references
and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017003660 | ISBN 9780231183987 (cloth : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780231183994
(pbk. : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Zhuangzi. Nanhua jing.
Classification: LCC BL1900.C576 M64 2017 | DDC 181/.114—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017003660

A Columbia University Press E-book.
CUP would be pleased to hear about your reading experience with this e-book at cup-
[email protected].

Cover design: Lisa Hamm
Cover image: Creative Commons
CONTENTS
Foreword by Chen Guying
Preface
Introduction: A Joker in the Fold
1.   Sincerity, Authenticity, and Ancient Chinese Philosophy
The Dialectic of Sincerity and Confucian Ethics
Authenticity, Irony, and Daoism
On the Ascription of Authenticity to the Zhuangzi
2.   The Confucian Regime of Sincerity
The Rectification of Names, “Dual Correspondence,” and Role Model
Ethics
The Fear of Insincerity and the Moral Ontology of Sincerity
Alternative Readings of Confucianism and a Preliminary Conclusion
3.   Philosophical Humor and Incongruity in the Zhuangzi
Toward a Daoist Theory of Humor
Parodies and Tricksters in the Zhuangzi
The Incongruity of Names and Forms
4.   Smooth Operators: The Arts of Genuine Pretending
From Dissonant to Empty Role Models
Zhenren: The Zhenuine Pretender in the Zhuangzi
Social Survival
Drunk Skills: On Contingent Excellence
Where We Come From: On Rambling and the Art of Philosophizing
Sanity and Health: Immune to Afflictions and Conceit
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
FOREWORD
Chen Guying
The Zhuangzi is one of my most beloved texts. It is an abundantly rich
resource for reflecting on nature, the human world, and spirituality.
History has given us many different interpretations of the Zhuangzi, and
yet its philosophy can never be exhaustively explicated. With today’s
convergence of cultures and increasing communication among world
traditions, it is natural that scholars from around the world should come to
esteem this great book of Daoism.
I have known Hans-Georg Moeller for a long time and appreciate his
work on the Laozi. I am delighted to find him working on another Daoist
text. I have come to know his student Paul D’Ambrosio as well, with
whom I have had many pleasurable exchanges on Nietzsche, Zhuangzi,
and other philosophers. Their work on “genuine pretending” is an inspired
new take on the Zhuangzi and engages in comparative philosophy on the
highest level.
Scholars today need to be steeped in the philosophy, language,
culture, and history of more than one tradition in order to make significant
contributions in philosophy. Genuine pretending is a perfect example of
how cross-cultural philosophy can develop valuable new perspectives on
the history of philosophy, society, and human spirituality. It shows how
Zhuangzi’s freedom occurs at the core of our daily lives, and how it is
accessible even in its most mundane aspects.
Truly, Zhuangzi’s writing is characterized by humor. Scholars have
often noted this fact, but few have undertaken serious philosophical
investigations into the implications of it. The reflections on humor
developed in this work bring to light important aspects of Zhuangzi’s
teachings.
I am delighted to invite readers to join on this path of reading the
Zhuangzi!