Genuine Pretending: On the Philosophy of the Zhuangzi Paperback – October 17, 2017
by Hans-Georg Moeller (Author), Paul J. D'Ambrosio (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 48 ratings
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Genuine Pretending is an innovative and comprehensive new reading of the Zhuangzi that highlights the critical and therapeutic functions of satire and humor.
Hans-Georg Moeller and Paul J. D’Ambrosio show how this Daoist classic, contrary to contemporary philosophical readings, distances itself from the pursuit of authenticity and subverts the dominant Confucianism of its time through satirical allegories and ironical reflections.
With humor and parody, the Zhuangzi exposes the Confucian demand to commit to socially constructed norms as pretense and hypocrisy.
With humor and parody, the Zhuangzi exposes the Confucian demand to commit to socially constructed norms as pretense and hypocrisy.
The Confucian pursuit of sincerity establishes exemplary models that one is supposed to emulate.
In contrast, the Zhuangzi parodies such venerated representations of wisdom and deconstructs the very notion of sagehood.
Instead, it urges a playful, skillful, and unattached engagement with socially mandated duties and obligations.
The Zhuangzi expounds the Daoist art of what Moeller and D’Ambrosio call
“Genuine pretending”: the paradoxical skill of not only surviving but thriving by enacting social roles without being tricked into submitting to them or letting them define one’s identity.
A provocative rereading of a Chinese philosophical classic, Genuine Pretending also suggests the value of a Daoist outlook today as a way of seeking existential sanity in an age of mass media’s paradoxical quest for originality.
<진정한 척>: 타인의 속임수에 굴복하거나 자신의 정체성을 타인이 정의하지 않게 하며 사회적 역할을 수행함으로써 생존뿐만 아니라 번성하는 역설적인 기술.
중국 철학 고전을 도발적으로 재해석한 <진정한 척>은 또한 매스미디어가 독창성을 추구하는 역설적인 시대에 실존적 건전성을 추구하는 방법으로서 오늘날 도교적 관점의 가치를 시사한다.
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240 pages
Columbia University Press
Publication date
October 17, 2017
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Editorial Reviews
Review
[The book's] scholarship is first rate and the contribution original and timely. The authors offer genuinely illuminating and original readings of many of the widely discussed parts of the Zhuangzi. -- Barry Allen, author of Striking Beauty: A Philosophical Look at the Asian Martial Arts
A highly insightful new reading of the Zhuangzi that is exceptionally sensitive to both philosophical and textual subtleties, highlighting the key theme of genuine pretending―the adoption of multiple roles while maintaining a form of radical flexibility that prevents full identification, thereby allowing all roles to be at once fulfilled and transcended. -- Brook Ziporyn, author of Emptiness and Omnipresence: An Essential Introduction to Tiantai Buddhism
Without ignoring the many and varied eccentricities found throughout the composite text of the Zhuangzi, D'Ambrosio and Moeller have presented an appropriately contextualized whole that is text-sensitive, highly original, and deeply incisive, satisfying for readers lay and expert alike. It is a new benchmark for the field. -- Henry Rosemont, author of Against Individualism: A Confucian Rethinking of the Foundations of Morality, Politics, Family, and Religion
Genuine Pretending is one of the best books, if not the best book, on the Zhuangzi, since A.C. Graham's analysis of the text in Reason and Spontaneity. The book restores humor to the Zhuangzi. It moreover liberates whole Zhuangzi passages from dense thickets of Buddhist, Christian, and Freudian interpretations. And while I suspect that some of the dividing lines between Confucians and Daoists that Genuine Pretending draws were rather less clear in early China, Genuine Pretending surely constitutes a firmer basis for vigorous debate for years to come. -- Michael Nylan, editor of The Norton Critical Edition of “The Analects”
This book presents a novel reading of the Zhuangzi that illuminates its humor and presents it as responding to philosophical concerns of its day. To the extent that these philosophical concerns are also those of the present day -- the search for a sane and healthy response to the impossible demands of sincerity -- we can, through the discussion here, gain an understanding of an alternative to the unsatisfying ethical approaches of both sincerity and authenticity. . . . This book is one to which I will return for its insights into the Zhuangzi and its place in traditional and contemporary thought. -- Susan Blake ― Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
An exemplary work of scholarly exegesis, and an unquestionably significant contribution to Zhuangzi studies worldwide. . . . I highly recommend it to those interested in ancient Chinese philosophy, comparative philosophy and urging for a brand new (and maybe sometimes antitraditional) interpretation. -- Guo Chen ― Monumenta Serica
This is a book with which serious students of Daoist philosophy will need to grapple. “Grapple,” perhaps, is not the right word, for the book is written in a clear, buoyant style. -- David Cooper ― Los Angeles Review of Books
Moeller and D’Ambrosio’s delightful work will be of interest to anyone interested in learning more about Daoist thought, and the Zhuangzi in particular. A light-hearted work that is expertly researched, Genuine Pretending allows us to saunter amongst its pages as easily as its authors hop and skip through the Zhuangzi. . . . Genuine Pretending succeeds in expanding the methodological approaches to reading this most difficult text. A laudable effort indeed! ― Reading Religion
Hans-Georg Moeller and Paul J. D’Ambrosio have crafted and presented a truly innovative and refreshing take on Zhuangist thought and narrative technique. ― Journal of Chinese Religions
The book is greatly recommended not only for specialists of Chinese culture, but also to anyone keen on witnessing how an inventive and inspiring reinterpretation of a short, yet highly influential antique text could possibly be a game changer in the field. ― Religious Studies Review
About the Author
Hans-Georg Moeller is professor of philosophy at the University of Macau. His books include The Philosophy of the Daodejing (2006); The Moral Fool: A Case for Amorality (2009); and The Radical Luhmann (2011), all from Columbia University Press.
Paul J. D’Ambrosio is assistant professor of Chinese philosophy at East China Normal University, where he serves as dean of the Center for Intercultural Research, Teaching, and Translation. He is the coeditor (with Michael Sandel) of Encountering China: Michael Sandel and Chinese Philosophy (2017).
4.4 out of 5 stars 48 ratings
Top reviews from the United States
Marked Wayne
5.0 out of 5 stars The Zhuangzi as Subversive ComedyReviewed in the United States on October 19, 2017
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I confess that I went into this book a skeptic, having been burnt one too many times by scholarship promising some new "hot take" on the Daoist canon—only to find that it's just more of the same trendy deconstructionist pap.
Refreshingly, that isn't the case here. The authors are attentive to the historical contexts of the texts, and as such are careful not to ground their arguments in the anachronisms that keep most studies like this from ever reaching liftoff (see, e.g., the fruitless endeavors of the "Daoism-as-Heideggerian-authenticity" school). Even better: the titular concept is actually *useful* for better understanding the Zhuangzi! Imagine that.
But the concept of genuine pretending is not *merely* consonant with the historical texts of the Zhuangzi; even more crucially, it manages to both amplify the points of disagreement between it and its main rival school, Confucianism, while highlighting the rival schools' subtler (but no less important) points of convergence by framing them against the backdrop of the pre–established historical context. Those who teach advanced courses on Chinese thought ought to take note of this strength in particular, since one of the central difficulties involved in teaching such courses is getting the students the nature of Daoist/Confucian relations.
Lastly, while this is without a doubt an academic book, it is not as dry as typical academic publications, stylistically speaking. In keeping with their "humoristic" take on the Zhuangzi, the authors themselves drop the occasional joke or funny observation into the pot, and this serves to make the book significantly less of a chore to read.
In sum, I see this as being a truly *productive* entry into the study of Daoism. By "productive," I mean to say that I can see many of the concepts introduced herein being adopted by the larger community of East Asian scholarship.
I certainly hope they will be, in any case.
16 people found this helpful
Jason Gregory (Author of Effortless Living, Fasting the Mind, Enlightenment Now, & The Science and Practice of Humility)
But the concept of genuine pretending is not *merely* consonant with the historical texts of the Zhuangzi; even more crucially, it manages to both amplify the points of disagreement between it and its main rival school, Confucianism, while highlighting the rival schools' subtler (but no less important) points of convergence by framing them against the backdrop of the pre–established historical context. Those who teach advanced courses on Chinese thought ought to take note of this strength in particular, since one of the central difficulties involved in teaching such courses is getting the students the nature of Daoist/Confucian relations.
Lastly, while this is without a doubt an academic book, it is not as dry as typical academic publications, stylistically speaking. In keeping with their "humoristic" take on the Zhuangzi, the authors themselves drop the occasional joke or funny observation into the pot, and this serves to make the book significantly less of a chore to read.
In sum, I see this as being a truly *productive* entry into the study of Daoism. By "productive," I mean to say that I can see many of the concepts introduced herein being adopted by the larger community of East Asian scholarship.
I certainly hope they will be, in any case.
16 people found this helpful
Jason Gregory (Author of Effortless Living, Fasting the Mind, Enlightenment Now, & The Science and Practice of Humility)
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2018
Chinese philosophy (alongside Indian philosophy) is always my central focus because of my dedication to to delivering ancient Eastern thought for modern minds. And when it comes to the ancient Daoist (Taoist) sage Zhuangzi (Chuang-tzu) I'll read anything about his philosophy. When people speak about Daoism they often look to Laozi (Lao-tzu) for its gems. But if you have not encountered the genius of Zhuangzi then it is hard to get a complete picture of the depth of Daoism. As soon as I laid my eyes on Genuine Pretending it was immediately on my hit list. And I can tell you that Hans-Georg Moeller and Paul D'Ambrosio did not disappoint.
Chinese philosophy (alongside Indian philosophy) is always my central focus because of my dedication to to delivering ancient Eastern thought for modern minds. And when it comes to the ancient Daoist (Taoist) sage Zhuangzi (Chuang-tzu) I'll read anything about his philosophy. When people speak about Daoism they often look to Laozi (Lao-tzu) for its gems. But if you have not encountered the genius of Zhuangzi then it is hard to get a complete picture of the depth of Daoism. As soon as I laid my eyes on Genuine Pretending it was immediately on my hit list. And I can tell you that Hans-Georg Moeller and Paul D'Ambrosio did not disappoint.
They explain how the classic Zhuangzi text is not a one dimensional text. A lot of people believe the text is either a book on metaphysics, spirituality, strategy, or politics. But the authors believe it is all of the above and much more, especially when we take seriously (or not seriously) the humor component of the text. Genuine Pretending goes into the science behind humor and what that has to do with the spiritual depth of the Zhuangzi text. They have a thorough study of sincerity and authenticity, and how that relates to Confucian thought and Zhuangzi.
This book explains that even though Zhuangzi is criticizing Confucian thought somewhat, he is really poking fun at it because of the sincere people we are supposed to become through high moral values and ideals that Confucius believes we should live up to. Zhuangzi skillfully knows these high rationalistic goals are not possible. Zhuangzi explains that in trying to create sincere people we actually create the opposite. Most importantly they introduce the Genuine Pretender, the joker in the pack, which in their opinion is a state of being Zhuangzi recommends for us to be in if we want to be a healthy and sane individual and live in a healthy and sane world. "A genuine pretender develops a capacity to playfully and skillfully enact social personae by looking at things, including oneself, from a 'zero perspective.'"
10 people found this helpful
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ssysmall
5.0 out of 5 stars Great BookReviewed in the United States on October 15, 2018
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With all the works written on the Zhuangzi over the past decades, it is not easy to come across a book that gives new insights and perspectives on the Ancient text. This book is not only innovative in bringing new perspectives, but also well scholarly based providing an overview of previous and noteworthy interpretations and brings the Zhuangzi into a conversation not only with other Ancient Chinese texts, but also with Modern Western views. Each claim in the book is thoroughly based in research and thought. The book is clear, written well, in a way that keeps the reader attuned and interested even if one is not well versed in Chinese philosophy. Although this book takes Chinese philosophy seriously, it is not limited to Chinese philosophy, but brings the Chinese text into the international philosophical scene, becoming a world philosophy without geographical restrictions. Not only professional readers will enjoy this book, but anyone interested in philosophy in general. Without depriving it from its seriousness, It is a refreshing and fun book to read, thus warmly recommended for both the academic and lay reader.
2 people found this helpful
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Walter Braun
2.0 out of 5 stars True to its title
10 people found this helpful
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ssysmall
5.0 out of 5 stars Great BookReviewed in the United States on October 15, 2018
Verified Purchase
With all the works written on the Zhuangzi over the past decades, it is not easy to come across a book that gives new insights and perspectives on the Ancient text. This book is not only innovative in bringing new perspectives, but also well scholarly based providing an overview of previous and noteworthy interpretations and brings the Zhuangzi into a conversation not only with other Ancient Chinese texts, but also with Modern Western views. Each claim in the book is thoroughly based in research and thought. The book is clear, written well, in a way that keeps the reader attuned and interested even if one is not well versed in Chinese philosophy. Although this book takes Chinese philosophy seriously, it is not limited to Chinese philosophy, but brings the Chinese text into the international philosophical scene, becoming a world philosophy without geographical restrictions. Not only professional readers will enjoy this book, but anyone interested in philosophy in general. Without depriving it from its seriousness, It is a refreshing and fun book to read, thus warmly recommended for both the academic and lay reader.
2 people found this helpful
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Walter Braun
2.0 out of 5 stars True to its title
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 18, 2020
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Definitely a genuine academic exercise - a quote feast and endless historicising, one seventh of the book are references, and the text itself is mostly referencing. The rest is pretending that this exercise in academic navel-gazing amounts to anything at all.
I genuinely regret the waste of money and time. Perhaps we should close the Humanities departments for, say, a generation and then ask the citizens whether they have missed them? Self-satisfied scholasticism, even in liberal disguises, is definitely something for pensioners and private scholarship...
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Andrea Martinez
5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2018
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Brilliant, accesible and comprehensive.
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giampaolo de amicis
5.0 out of 5 stars Essere "faceless"Reviewed in Italy on January 3, 2018
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Interessante l'assunto che occorra restare 'faceless' senza irrigidirsi. Ciò è considerato foriero di sanità e di libera evoluzione nel proprio girovagare. Forse sarebbe stato da evidenziare maggiormente come l'essere 'faceless' sia condizione dell'adesione al circostanziale. Comunque chiaro e ottimo.
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The most persistent issue I find in in this work is an issue I see frequently in western approaches to Asian philosophies overall: that they can sometimes entrench an unjustified division between East and West by appealing uniquely to analogical arguments existing within a delimited western canon. In this case, "Genuine Pretending" appeals to classical Greek plays, Freud, German continental thinkers, and so on, without ever really making an effort to situate the Zhuangzi within its sinological context (and thereby also excludes interesting comparatives from every other non-western philosophical tradition). (less)
Verified Purchase
Definitely a genuine academic exercise - a quote feast and endless historicising, one seventh of the book are references, and the text itself is mostly referencing. The rest is pretending that this exercise in academic navel-gazing amounts to anything at all.
I genuinely regret the waste of money and time. Perhaps we should close the Humanities departments for, say, a generation and then ask the citizens whether they have missed them? Self-satisfied scholasticism, even in liberal disguises, is definitely something for pensioners and private scholarship...
Report abuse
Andrea Martinez
5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 6, 2018
Verified Purchase
Brilliant, accesible and comprehensive.
Report abuse
giampaolo de amicis
5.0 out of 5 stars Essere "faceless"Reviewed in Italy on January 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
Interessante l'assunto che occorra restare 'faceless' senza irrigidirsi. Ciò è considerato foriero di sanità e di libera evoluzione nel proprio girovagare. Forse sarebbe stato da evidenziare maggiormente come l'essere 'faceless' sia condizione dell'adesione al circostanziale. Comunque chiaro e ottimo.
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May 15, 2021Helen Luo rated it really liked it
This volume is constructed for the devoted student of the Zhuangzi, and advances a philosophical methodology I am largely sympathetic to: that Classical Chinese philosophy is funny. Indeed, one wonders if the Zhuangzi can ever aptly be interpreted in the absence of its signature quick wit and whimsy. Notwithstanding, the specifics of this thesis were lost on me: I was left unconvinced by the distinction between the Confucian notion of "sincerity" and the contrasting Zhuangzian notion of "authenticity" that propels much of the analysis in the opening chapters, as the argumentative structure of the text was so deeply invested in dense, comparative accounts.
Perhaps what was missing in this account was a coherent modern framework on the philosophy of emotion - and moreover a more accessible explanation of what kind of psychological or sociological content 'performativity' has as an ethical system.
The most persistent issue I find in in this work is an issue I see frequently in western approaches to Asian philosophies overall: that they can sometimes entrench an unjustified division between East and West by appealing uniquely to analogical arguments existing within a delimited western canon. In this case, "Genuine Pretending" appeals to classical Greek plays, Freud, German continental thinkers, and so on, without ever really making an effort to situate the Zhuangzi within its sinological context (and thereby also excludes interesting comparatives from every other non-western philosophical tradition). (less)
Dec 25, 2021NosNos rated it it was amazing
Shelves: chyna, philosophy-bc, philosophy, non-fiction, comedy, favorites, liberating, life-changing
I've always loved characters that were "stupid" or "dumb", and now that I can call all of them Daoist sages, my life has been changed for better. I've set myself up the ideal of the wise bimbo, and this was the book that opened up that possibility for me (less)
Another dry scholastic text from some academic paper pusher who needs to justify some wages. The text is also dishonest. It is not a read of Zhuangzi, but the usual what other scholastic writes have assumed on the given theme.
Feb 04, 2020Yun Rou rated it it was amazing
This is a work of scholarship and as such not to be undertaken either lightly or by the casual reader. It has a particular place in writings about Zhuangzi, at least in my view, in that there is this deep and defining juxtaposition between Zhuangzi (as insurgent) and Confucian teaching and culture. If you think about Confucianists as Imperial folks in the Star Wars universe and Taoists as Jedi, you can inform yourself deeply with this work.
Nov 09, 2021Seamusin marked it as unfinished
Love the idea presented of the genuine pretender, but the intro is enough to see it's dryness will leave me a desert. (less)
