Continuity in Zhangian Ontology

Abstract

In the shadow of the prolific Wei and Western Jin periods of Chinese philosophy, the Eastern Jin (dongjin 東晉, 317–420 CE) contributions of Neo-Daoist Zhang Zhan 張湛 (fl. 370 CE) are easily overlooked. Nevertheless, from his commentary on the Daoist classic Liezi 列子 emerges a compelling story of how the world works, and ontological continuity comes to the fore as a valuable topic for reconsideration by readers from early medieval China to the present day. This paper presents three distinct types of continuity that can be discerned from Zhang Zhan’s comments on the metaphysically rich first chapter of the Liezi, “Heaven’s Gifts” (tianrui 天瑞).

在中國哲學史上，魏晉時期的豐碩成果使東晉玄學家張湛的貢獻容易被忽視。然而，在他對道家經典《列子》的註釋中，可以看到一個引人入勝的世界觀故事。其中，本體論的連續性成為一個中國從中古早期至今一直值得重新思考的問題。本文從張湛對《列子 · 天瑞》篇的註釋中提煉出三種不同類型的連續性，並進行深入討論。