허구적 예증법으로 살펴본 『莊子』寓言

Abstract

Fables occupy a large proportion in Zhuangzi and their role is also very important. Fables have been regarded as fantasy and fictional stories. But fables are stories with convincing power that appear as examples to understand Zhuangzi’s thoughts. Looking at the fables in Zhuangzi through Exemplifications, it can be explained differently from the previous understanding. For example, the fable ‘Zhao San Mu Si(朝三暮四)’ is not a metaphor for people who only know the differences in front of them, but rather appears to illustrate the concept of ‘Liang Xing(兩行)’. In addition, the fable ‘Paoding Jie Niu(庖丁解牛)’ is not intended to metaphorically describe the superb craftsmanship of ‘Paoding(庖丁)’, but rather to narrate the story of ‘Yangsheng(養生)’. Moreover, the fable ‘Chaotic(渾沌)’ can also be seen as messages conveyed to monarchs and strategists, rather than warnings of human behavior. In this way, the most famous representative fables in the fables of Zhuangzi, such as ‘Zhao San Mu Si(朝三暮四)’, ‘Paoding Jie Niu(庖丁解牛)’, and ‘Chaotic(渾沌)’, are understood so differently. However, these fables have been adapted to omit a part of the original content, or did not take into account the meaning of the title. In the future, it is necessary to supplement research on the reasons and timing of such changes in fables.