Works
Zhuangzi
Citation Formats
General Reference
APA Style
BibTeX
The Zhuangzi is a foundational Daoist text of anecdotes, parables and fables, written during the late Warring States period and traditionally attributed to Zhuang Zhou, whose authorship modern scholarship restricts to the seven inner chapters; the remaining outer and miscellaneous chapters accumulated through later authorship. It explores spontaneity and freedom from convention, is famous for the butterfly-dream passage, and emphasizes a relativism that dissolves artificial human distinctions.
Facts
Publication YearCompiled across the late Warring States period (476-221 BCE) by Zhuang Zhou and later contributors rather than published at a single date; -300 marks a representative point within that period. Original Language Cross-Tradition Connections
Authored By
Why this is disputed. Traditional attribution to Zhuang Zhou is not seriously disputed for the seven inner chapters; modern scholarship holds the outer and miscellaneous chapters were added by later authors over centuries, so authorship of the text as a whole is not a single-author claim.
Sources
1. Zhuangzi (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIntroductionQuote, Introduction
It was written during the late Warring States period (476-221 BC) and is named for its traditional author, Zhuang Zhou.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.