Who is Guo Xiang 郭象

Guo Xiang
(252–312) A Taoist scholar of the Western Jin Dynasty, styled Zixuan, and a native of Henan.

He held successive official positions such as Situyuan (a subordinate official of the Minister of Education), Huangmen Shilang (a court attendant), and Taifu Zhubu (chief secretary to the Grand Tutor), and was particularly renowned for his debating skills. He was fond of the doctrines of Laozi and Zhuangzi, and authored Annotations on Zhuangzi, which is included in Guo Qingfan’s Collected Explanations of Zhuangzi. He developed the thoughts of Laozi and Zhuangzi in various aspects, among which the theories of "duhua" (spontaneous transformation), "xiaoyao" (carefree wandering), and "shifei" (right and wrong) are particularly important.

The theory of "duhua" is somewhat related to Laozi’s idea that "Tao follows nature." It holds that all things in their various forms come into being spontaneously on their own, not created by any external force. Guo Xiang stated: "Thus, there is no ruler of creators, and each thing creates itself. When each thing creates itself without depending on anything else, this is the proper way of heaven and earth." (Annotation to Zhuangzi·On Equalizing Things, hereinafter only the chapter name is noted) He further developed the idea of "Tao follows nature," emphasizing not only "self-creation" but also concepts such as "self-generation," "self-formation," "self-so," "self-swaying," "self-surging," "self-advancing," "self-acting," "self-gathering," "self-dispersing," "self-perishing," "self-doing," "self-dying," "self-exhausting," "self-reliance," "self-attainment," and "self-contentment." He believed that the process from the emergence, development to the demise of things is a purely natural one.

Based on this theory of natural "duhua," he denied traditional ontology, arguing that all things generate themselves without a fundamental source, and perish by themselves without a root. However, his denial of ontology was not complete. He held that the existence or non-existence of an ontological basis precisely reveals the difference between "you dai" (having dependence) and "wu dai" (having no dependence). Within the realm of "you dai," there is no ontology transcending or existing outside specific things; each concrete thing takes itself as its own ontology, and the boundaries between them are clear: "Each thing is distinct from the other, each matter is separate from the next." (Annotation to On Equalizing Things)

However, the "you dai" state without a unified ontology is only a temporary phenomenon. Things will eventually break free from "you dai" to reach "wu dai." "Wu dai" is the highest goal and ultimate destination of "duhua." Guo Xiang said: "Ultimately, they reach the state of 'wu dai,' and the principle of 'duhua' becomes clear." (Ibid.) As the final destination of things, "wu dai" is actually the ontology of things: "Let each thing return to its root, embracing the One." (Annotation to The World) "Generally, when all return to their roots and embrace the One, that is the purity of heaven and earth." (Ibid.) In this way, "duhua" achieves carefree wandering through "wu dai," thus connecting the theory of "duhua" with the theory of "xiaoyao."

"Wu dai" is a "profound and mysterious realm" beyond the phenomenal world. In this realm, the opposition between "being" and "non-being" disappears, and the distinctions between individual concrete things vanish: "Heaven and humans are unified, self and others are equalized." (Annotation to On Equalizing Things)

After all fated boundaries disappear, things both large and small attain a state of absolute freedom, able to be content and wander carefree at will. Guo Xiang stated: "Although large and small differ, when placed in the field of self-attainment, each thing follows its nature, each matter accords with its ability, each is in its proper place, and their carefree wandering is one and the same." (Annotation to Carefree Wandering) "For things both small and large, if they lose their proper limits, the principles of benefit and harm are equal; if they function in their proper places, all things can wander carefree." (Ibid.)

The theory of "duhua" also serves as the ideological basis for a relativist view of truth. Since "duhua" refers to the generation and transformation of individual existing things, in the stage of "you dai," these individual entities "follow their natures independently," isolated from one another with no connections, thus making no room for discussions of right and wrong. Guo Xiang said: "What I consider right, others consider wrong; what others consider right, I in turn consider wrong. Thus, there is no certainty. The lack of certainty arises from the partiality of the feelings of self and others." (Annotation to On Equalizing Things)

If, in the realm of "you dai," things cannot form a consensus on right and wrong due to their independence, then in the realm of "wu dai," "right and wrong, life and death merge into one" (Ibid.), and all boundaries, including those between right and wrong, cease to exist. Therefore, Guo Xiang arrived at the conclusion that "there is neither right nor wrong." (Ibid.)

Guo Xiang has a biography in Volume 50 of The Book of Jin. His main work is Annotations on Zhuangzi.