Chinese philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Chinese philosophy - Essay Example The ultimate motive of Chuang Tzu was, probably, to appreciate the beauty of River Hao. Text 1. Chuang Tzu and Hui Tzu were strolling along the bridge of the Hao River when Chuang Tzu said, â€Å"See how the minnows come out and dart around where they please! That’s what fish really enjoy!† Hui Shi said, â€Å"You are not a fish---how do you know what fish enjoy!† Chuang Tzu said, â€Å"You’re not I, so how do you know that I do not know what the fish enjoy.† Hui Shi said, â€Å"I am not you, so I certainly don’t know what you know. On the other hand, you are certainly not a fish—so that still proves you don’t know what fish enjoys.† Chuang Tzu said, â€Å"Let go back to your original question, please. You ask me how I know what fish enjoys. So you already knew I knew it when you ask the question. I know it by standing upon the River Hao.† In just a few statements, these two characters have sparked off a delightful, thought-provoking, and philosophical discussion, indeed. The fundamentals of the discussion revolve around the individuality and uniqueness of each body in this universe. Philosophy has given way to the notion that nobody knows what the other body is in actuality. In the spectrum of philosophical thought, reality is, in fact, a fallacy and with regards to the philosophical sphere of thinking, it is a matter of fact that Hui Shi may never know what Chuang Tzu is. What may seem to the human eye could be the result of one’s own biased expectations of thought and perceptions. In short, if Hui Shi expects Chuang Tzu to be human, Chuang Tzu will seem human to Hui Shi. However, it is Chuang Tzu who knows if he, himself, is human or not. In the case that Chuang Tzu is human, then Hui Shi has objected correctly against the claim of knowing what fishes enjoy. Chuang Tzu can never perceive what it is like to b e a foreign body. Even so, Chuang Tzu should not even try to perceive because his current, fixed