A Chinese thinker of the Warring States period, Yang Zhu became known for arguing that each person should preserve their own life and nature above all. He left no writings; his ideas have reached us through critics such as Mencius and through a chapter of the Liezi that extols the pleasures of a short life.
Core ideas
Caring for oneself and preserving one's life matters more than serving the State or seeking fame
Life is short and death erases everyone equally, so we should enjoy the present
No external gain, not even the whole world, justifies sacrificing one's own body
The tradition: Yangism
Yangism is the Chinese current that puts self-preservation and the enjoyment of life above social duties. Yang Zhu is its founder and the favorite target of the Confucians, who saw him as selfish.
