Zhuang Zhou

"2000 years ago, Zhuang Zhou fell asleep. He dreamed he was a butterfly, and woke up unable to decide if he was a man dreaming of a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of a man."

―"The Messenger".

Zhuang Zhou (Chinese: 莊周; c. 369 BCE – 286 BCE), often known as Zhuangzi (Chinese: 莊子), was a Chinese philosopher who lived during the Warring States period at the height of the Hundred Schools of Thought. As the author of the Zhuangzi, a foundational text of Taoism named after him, he is credited alongside Li Er as a founder of the philosophical tradition.

Biography

Pre-birth

Zhou's philosophy about the nature of reality was observed by the Isu during their era and recorded in the Oun-mAa Niye Ressoot temple as part of their "Empirical Truth."

Works

One of the most famous passages in the Zhuangzi is a philosophical parable on the nature of reality. He claimed to have dreamt that he was a butterfly, but upon waking up, he was unsure of whether he was a man dreaming of a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming of a man.

Legacy

Circa 48 BCE, the message containing Zhou's philosophy was found by the Medjay Bayek. Unbeknownst to him, the message was intended for Layla Hassan who was reliving his memories in 2017.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Origins (mentioned only)