Zhuang Zi (II) -- The Debate on the Joy of Fish



Last time we shared some high-level introduction of Zhuangzi. Here is a famous philosophical debate between Zhuang Zi and his friend Hui Shi, the debate on the joy of fish. It is in a way similar to the Socratic dialogues in Classical Greece. Zhuang Zi and Hui Shi were walking on the bridge over a river. Zhuang Zi said, "Look, the minnows are darting about free and easy! This is the happiness of the fish." Hui Shi replied, "You are not a fish. How do you know that the fish are happy?" Zhuang Zi challenged back, "You not being I, how can you know that I do not know that the fish are happy?" Hui Shi argued, "If I, not being you, cannot know what you know, it follows that you, not being a fish, cannot know the happiness of the fish." Zhuang Zi said, "Let's go back to the beginning of our conversation. You asked me how I knew the fish are happy. This very question that you asked shows that you already knew that I knew it. I knew it from my own feelings right here on the bridge over the river."




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