Hai Ruo Embodies Boundless Wisdom | Generated by AI
Question: In the essay “Autumn Floods” (Qiu Shui), which image containing abstract philosophy does the author affirm?
Answer:
The correct answer is D. Hai Ruo (海若).
Detailed Explanation:
- Context of the Essay:
“Autumn Floods” is a famous chapter from the Daoist classic Zhuangzi. The essay uses a寓言 (fable) featuring a dialogue between two mythological figures:
- He Bo (河伯): The Lord of the River, who initially believes his river is the greatest until he sees the vastness of the ocean.
- Hai Ruo (海若): The Lord of the Sea, who represents boundless knowledge and the Daoist perspective of relativity and infinity.
- Analysis of the Options:
- A. Summer Insect (夏虫): Used as a metaphor for beings with limited experience who cannot comprehend things beyond their short lifespan (“You cannot speak of ice to a summer insect”). This represents limited understanding, which is criticized, not affirmed.
- B. Well Frog (井蛙): Used as a metaphor for those with a narrow scope of vision who cannot comprehend the vastness of the world (“You cannot speak of the sea to a well frog”). This also represents limited understanding and is criticized.
- C. Provincial Scholar (曲士): Refers to a scholar confined by rigid teachings or local customs, unable to grasp the greater Dao. Like the frog and the insect, this figure represents intellectual limitation and is used to illustrate what needs to be overcome.
- D. Hai Ruo (海若): As the Lord of the Sea, Hai Ruo possesses a vast perspective that transcends the limitations of size, time, and conventional morality. He guides He Bo (and the reader) to realize the relativity of big and small and the infinitude of the universe. Therefore, Hai Ruo embodies the affirmed abstract philosophy of the text: the boundless nature of the Dao and the necessity of breaking free from subjective limitations.
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Why Option C was incorrect: You selected “Qu Shi” (Provincial Scholar). In the text, Zhuangzi mentions the “Qu Shi” in the same breath as the well frog and the summer insect to describe people restricted by their environment or education. The author uses these images to show what one should not be. The character who represents the enlightened view that the author affirms is Hai Ruo.
- Literary Technique: As noted in your provided explanation, the essay excels at turning abstract philosophies into concrete images. While the frog, insect, and scholar are images of limitation, Hai Ruo is the personification of the limitless wisdom that the author advocates.