Chuang Tzu and Tony

Peter Tong

Tony is the only friend I have who writes his email in Chinese. If you haven't try it before, it is not easy. His last communication ends with the line

天上的飛鳥也不為明日而憂，我又何苦呢？�o

(Birds do not worry about tomorrow. Why should I?)

which reminds me of a passage in Autumn Waters 秋水 in Chuang Tzu. For your entertainment, I repeat that passage below in both Chinese and English, in the event that you don㦙 have a Chinese reader.

莊子與惠子游於濠梁之上。莊子曰：『鯈魚出游從容，是魚樂也。』

惠子曰 ﹕ 『子非魚，安知魚之樂？』

莊子曰：『子非我，安知我不知魚樂？』

惠子曰 ﹕『我非子，固不知子；子固非；魚也，子不知魚樂，全矣。』

莊子曰：『請循其本。子曰：「女安知魚樂」云者，既巳吾知之而問我，我知之濠上也。』

�nHere is a translation by Burton Watson:

Chuang Tzu and Hui Tzu were strolling along the dam of the Hao River when Chuang Tzu said,"See how the minnows come out and dart around where they please! That's what fish really enjoy!." Hui Tzu said,"You're not a fish -- how do you know what fish enjoy?" Chuang Tzu said, "You're not I, so how do you know I don't know what fish enjoy?" Hui Tzu said, "I'm not you, so I certainly don't know what you know. On the other hand, you're certainly not a fish -- so that still proves you don't know what fish enjoy!?" Chuang Tzu said, "Let's go back to your original question, please. You asked me how I know it when you asked the question. I know it by standing here beside the Hao.?

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I was impressed by this exchange when I first read it twenty years ago. Notice the parallel between Tony's remark and Chuang's writing. Here are my three observations on the hypothetical argument between Chuang and Hui.

The fact that Hui does not know what Chuang knows does not imply that Chuang does not know what fish enjoy. (The fact that I am ignorant does not imply that you are too.)

When Hui asks how does Chuang know, he is asking a rhetorical question. It does not necessarily imply that Hui thinks Chuang knows. In fact, it is more likely the opposite.

Chuang's final answer reminds me of some of my students. They expect to learn by being near a textbook.