삶과 죽음 그리고 자유에 대한 해석학적 접근

A hermeneutic approach to life, death and freedom

The philosophical theme of Zhuangzi is how to secure the absolute freedom of the individual. The most significant obstacle binding the freedom of human beings is the fear of death. However, Zhuangzi viewed death as nothing more than transformation through the meeting and parting of chi. Since chi only transforms through the Transformation of Things and does not dissipate, the human fear of death is simply manipulated by the tyranny of a perception based on false knowledge. Such erroneous perception originates from predetermined ideas and the predetermined mind. Predetermined ideas infringe upon individual freedom in the name of universal knowledge. For this reason, Zhuangzi considered the knowledge crafted by predetermined ideas as the source of disaster or the means of scheming. He believed that predetermined ideas work as weapons to confine people within their emotions: confirmed to be the universal knowledge,predetermined ideas restrict human beings. Hence, it is essential to dissolve both predetermined ideas and the predetermined mind, to reach True Knowledge. In conclusion, oblivion and dissolution are the means of overcoming life and death, and obtaining freedom in Zhuangzi’s philosophy. The methodology of oblivion and dissolution is stated through self-transcending concepts like “fasting the mind”, “sitting in oblivion”, “having clear insight as morning light”, “manifesting the individual”, and “losing oneself”. It is achieved by escaping the fabrication of perception. By doing so, one can obtain the True Knowledge and therewith reach freedom. What True Knowledge is can be assessed by examining the attitude of the True Man. The attitude of the True Man is to have insight into everything from the position of the proper light of the mind, and to respond from the pivot of the Dao with chi. The True Man is not trapped by the frame of perception but copes with change freely; he thus appears unshakable by emotional preferences, moral judgments, changes in nature, and so on. He is a free man who has liberated himself from predetermined ideas and the predetermined mind, and reached the state of having an unmoved mind through the True Knowledge. The fables of Zhuangzi examined here offer new insight into life and death by providing a means of true perception. Accepting this and changing our perceptions will greatly facilitate our mental freedom and the leading of a qualitatively matured life.