The central ideology of Zhuangzi’s philosophical argument is the exploration of presence, a concept well articulated by Moeller. Understanding Zhuangzi’s structure of presence is crucial to grasping the philosophical depth of the text and all the following philosophical ponderings. I find Moeller’s interpretation, alongside Guo Xiang's insights, particularly trustworthy as they underscore Zhuangzi's intent not to dwell on representational philosophy but to provoke a reconsideration of the distinction between reality and fiction, akin to Borges’s narrative techniques. This structure of presence is proposed from levels to levels: plot level, allegorical level, and the existential leve.
First, at the plot level, the importance lies not in whether Zhuangzhou remembers the dream but in the indistinguishability of his wakeful state from his dreaming state. This reflects the absence of a continuous 'I' in the original text, emphasizing a state of 'Doubtlessness' where Zhuangzhou and the butterfly exist without an anchored self-construed identity. At the allegorical level, Zhuangzi uses the analogy between wakefulness and dreaming to parallel life and death. Each state exists as a segment in the linear progression of life, where being awake is as final as being dead, each perfectly aligned with its nature. This level suggests that distinctions, while perceived, do not alter the inherent authenticity of each segment.
Lastly, at the eixstential level, it is where Zhuangzi's philosophy culminates in the idea of pure presence. Zhuangzhou achieves enlightenment not by transcending his identity but by immersing fully in the present moment, devoid of distinctions or personal bias. This stage represents a complete engagement with being, where existence is accepted as it is without the need for representation or doubt: there is no doubt on phenomenon, because the subject is simply present.
(in reference to Moeller's Taoist interpretation)
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