p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Translate Flashcards

安知鱼之乐

安知魚之樂
Ān zhī yú zhī lè
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 how do you know the joy of fish?
  2. 2 the problem of other minds - how can we know another's inner experience?
  3. 3 (lit.) how - know - fish - 's - joy

Examples

HSK 5
哲学课上老师讨论庄子安知鱼之乐的故事。
Zhéxué kè shàng lǎoshī tǎolùn Zhuāngzǐ ānzhīyúzhīlè de gùshì.
In philosophy class the teacher discussed Zhuangzi's 'how do you know the joy of fish?' debate.
HSK 7-9
你怎么断定他不开心？安知鱼之乐。
Nǐ zěnme duàndìng tā bù kāixīn? Ānzhīyúzhīlè.
How are you so sure he's not happy? 'How do you know the joy of fish?'

Tips

history
From 《庄子·秋水》 (Zhuangzi, Qiushui chapter, ~4th c. BCE), the famous 濠梁之辩 (Hao River bridge debate) between Zhuangzi and Huizi: 庄子 strolled on the bridge over the Hao with 惠子, saying the minnows swam at leisure - this is the joy of fish. Huizi replied, you are not a fish, how do you know the joy of fish? Zhuangzi answered, you are not me, how do you know I don't know the joy of fish? The canonical Chinese thought experiment on epistemic access.
usage
安 here is classical 'how? / whence?' (interrogative), not 'peace.' 之 is the attributive particle. The phrase stands on its own as a rebuttal to anyone presuming to know another's inner state.

Stroke Order

安 ān
知 zhī
鱼 yú
之 zhī
乐 lè