The Meaning of the Body in the Zhuangzi: A Discussion of the Practical Basis of Xiaoyao

The purpose of this dissertation is to explain xiaoyao within a social context by inquiring into the meaning of the body in the Zhuangzi. In view of a social reading of xiaoyao, the focal point of my discussion will be the relational aspect of the body, that is, the body as existing in a framework of relations. I argue that the value of xiaoyao is attained upon smoothly interacting with others in a social context. I have organized my exploration into two major sections: Part 1 “Body” (chapters 2-4) and Part 2 “Xiaoyao” (chapters 5-6). Part 1 starts with an interpretation of the meaning of the body in the Zhuangzi, leading up to a demonstration of the creativity and adaptability of bodily movement. The final chapter of Part 1 draws on applied psychology to probe the bodily roots of attaining xiaoyao: the connection of ‘high power posture’ and the amplitudinal quality of a person who has attained Dao (vs. the amplitudinal quality of a person restricted by chengxin). Part 1 argues that the critique of chengxin is pivotal in the Zhuangzi, and explores the praxis of interacting smoothly with others. Part 2 introduces the idea of ‘affordance’—an idea from environmental psychology that emphasizes the importance of the relationship between a human being and the environment—to expound the social reading of xiaoyao. My conclusion is that a person without chengxin creatively embodies xiaoyao through his adaptive interaction with others in a social context.