惠子(pīnyīn: Huì zi) or 惠施(pīnyīn: Huì shī) is a contemporary and traditionally considered as a friend of Chuang Tzu. Most of what is known about him is derived from the Chuang Tzu, in particular chapter 33. He is usually considered part of theSchool of Names - 名家 (pīnyīn: míng jiā) or dialecticians. The main ideas that can be derived from the information existing from him are the following:
Although Chuang Tzu considers that the efforts of Hui Tzu are vain, as they are limited to an intellectual construction. In a way, Chuang Tzu may be considered a continuator of Hui Tzu, as he absorbed its relativity, bringing it one step further, to experience.
- Like the Mohists, Hui Tzu was an advocate of universal love and a pacifist (莊子 – 33, 『氾愛萬物，天地一體也。』, “'If all things be regarded with love, heaven and earth are of one body (with me).”)
- Through logic and manipulation of the language, Hui Tzu worked the notions of particulars and universals. He tried to advance that in a way all things are equal, and in another, relative all things are different, and in one way or the other, so all things are limited and relative. This doctrine was to be called “unity of similarity and difference”, and ten paradoxes can be linked to it (莊子 – 33, 『至大無外，謂之大一；至小無內，謂之小一。無厚不可積也，其大千里。天與地卑，山與澤平。日方中方睨，物方生方死。大同而與小同異，此之謂小同異；萬物畢同畢異，此之謂大同異。南方無窮而有窮，今日適越而昔來。連環可解也。我知天下之中央，燕之北，越之南是也。』, “'That which is so great that there is nothing outside it may be called the Great One; and that which is so small that there is nothing inside it maybe called the Small One.' 'What has no thickness and will not admit of being repeated is 1000 li in size.' 'Heaven may be as low as the earth.' 'A mountain may be as level as a marsh.' ' The sun in the meridian may be the sun declining.' 'A creature may be born to life and may die at the same time.' '(When it is said that) things greatly alike are different from things a little alike, this is what is called making little of agreements and differences; (when it is said that) all things are entirely alike or entirely different, this is what is called making much of agreements and differences.' 'The south is unlimited and yet has a limit.' 'I proceed to Yue to-day and came to it yesterday.' 'Things which are joined together can be separated.' 'I know the centre of the world - it is north of Yan or south of Yue.”)
Although Chuang Tzu considers that the efforts of Hui Tzu are vain, as they are limited to an intellectual construction. In a way, Chuang Tzu may be considered a continuator of Hui Tzu, as he absorbed its relativity, bringing it one step further, to experience.
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