Skilful Practice in the Zhuangzi : Putting the Narratives in Context

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14210%2F17%3A00094640" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14210/17:00094640 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="http://revije.ff.uni-lj.si/as/article/view/7012" target="_blank" >http://revije.ff.uni-lj.si/as/article/view/7012</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Skilful Practice in the Zhuangzi : Putting the Narratives in Context

Original language description

The Zhuangzi, like many other early Chinese texts, is a composite work consisting of relatively short textual units. Despite its composite nature, the Zhuangzi is often approached as a philosophical work, which (at least in part or parts) can be viewed as philosophically coherent. As a result, the Zhuangzi as a whole (or several wholes) is usually taken (at least implicitly) as the context in which all the textual units are read and understood. In contrast, this paper explores alternative ways to establish context for individual textual units in the Zhuangzi. The famous short narratives about skilful practice (often introducing the idea of perfect craftsmanship) are taken as an example, and the possible contexts are examined along two lines of inquiry: 1) the narratives are read within their immediate context of the textual unit; 2) the vocabulary used in the narratives is checked against other textual units in the Zhuangzi where the vocabulary appears. The paper argues that diverse contexts can be established for seemingly similar narratives. The narratives about skilful practice are viewed as a literary device that can be used in various contexts for various purposes. The paper thus demonstrates that the received Zhuangzi can be read as a process of putting shared narratives and terms in contexts and using them for different ends. The paper concludes by suggesting that the proposed reading highlights and retains meanings that are necessarily obscured by any reading that establishes the whole Zhuangzi as the primary context.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

60206 - Specific literatures

Project

<a href="/en/project/GP14-24730P" target="_blank" >GP14-24730P: Cosmology and Self-cultivation in the Zhuangzi: Meaning Construction in Early Chinese Texts</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2017

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Asian Studies

ISSN

2232-5131

e-ISSN

2350-4226

Volume of the periodical

5

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

SI - SLOVENIA

Number of pages

25

Pages from-to

195-219

UT code for WoS article

000396707700010

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85012273735