Reddit mentions of Chuang-Tzu: The Inner Chapters (Hackett Classics)

Here's some further reading!


The best and most academically accepted translation of the Dao De Jing

Here, A.C. Graham is an intensely clever and erudite Sinologist - Disupters is definitely a "classic" in the literature of early Eastern philosophy.

Great book on a lesser known section of the Zhuangzi, which Roth shows to be the origin of meditative practice in Daoism. Roth is also my Prof!

A great translation by the same A.C. Graham of most of the chapters of the Zhuangzi. The Zhuangzi, different from the Laozi, uses narratives and short essays in deeply stratified, humorous, and incredibly profound ways well ahead of its time.

Source: I've been studying contemplative practices, cultural anthropology, and Chinese philosophy for most of my undergrad

this one

but seriously, you want taoism, you should read zhuangzi. it actually is a very good counterpoint to nietzsche. though i wouldn't call it necessarily more positive, i also wouldn't call nietzche negative.

nietzche believed that you couldn't really know anything, but you gotta start somewhere, start with your ability to affect the world around you (will-to-power), combine that with context, and forge your own path.

zhuangzi believed that you couldn't really know anything, but you can step back and look at all the different ways to approach situations, people, life and death. once you've taken stock of the context and the options, choose the path that makes the most sense and don't be afraid to change your mind.

neither are really negative, but because they start skirting with absolute relativism they get misunderstood as though they just stayed in that abyss the whole time.

imho, z&taomm is only as juvenile as the dao de jing, his ideas on quality are superb, but underdeveloped and underexplained.

pretty oversimplified, but i'm a couple beers in after hiking all day... best i can do

all this being said, zarathustra is more than enough for six days, read for one minute, ponder for two. otherwise it's not making sense or you're making bad assumptions.