장자(莊子)철학의 미(美)와 추(醜)에 관한 담론 : 소크라테스(Socrates)의 미의 개념과 비교를 중심으로

Abstract

This paper aims to discuss the beauty and ugliness of Zhuangzi’s (莊子, B.C. 369~B.C. 289?) philosophy. Throughout history, Western and Eastern philosophers have had much difficulty defining the concepts of beauty and ugliness. In Zhuangzi, the definition of beauty and ugliness is not specifically mentioned. However, in Zhuangzi, the question of whether there is beauty or ugliness is considered meaningless because beauty and ugliness are considered one through the Tao. From Zhuangzi’s perspective, which respects various values and seeks to view all things in the world equally, beauty and ugliness are nothing more than artificial value distinctions created by humans. Such distinctions can change depending on the individual’s perspective, the era and the situation, so it cannot become a fixed truth. In other words, the concepts of beauty and ugliness cannot be fixed firmly, but they can also change at any time. This concept of beauty and ugliness in Zhuangzi has been sufficiently discussed in the previous studies. Therefore, this paper tries to expand the scope of understanding by drawing out the modern discourse on beauty and ugliness in Zhuangzi based on the concept of beauty of Socrates (B.C. 470~B.C. 399), who was the first person in history to discuss the concept of beauty in depth.