《莊子》中逍遙二字的意義在歷史上實是經過了一個發展過程，其間可說以郭象為分水嶺，本文先以文獻舉例證明在郭象前、後，對逍遙的解釋出現不同的轉化；郭象前，逍遙側重的是無事閒逛遊蕩以消除煩憂苦悶，從郭象起，世人習將逍遙認為係無拘無束自由自在，而戰國時期的《莊子》之逍遙，實較符合先秦兩漢時的意義。繼之，從《莊子》文本進行逍遙義分析，得出逍遙乃是對自然無為之抽象理解，而郭象所賦予逍遙之自由自在自得意涵，則是無為義之延伸發展。

The term of being free and unfettered in 《Chuang Chou》 has undergone a long and historical evolution, in which Guoxiang serves as the watershed. Here we like to show some literature reference that shows how the interpretations changed before and after Guoxiang: Before Guoxiang, being free and unfettered was mainly understood as referring to wandering around doing nothing as a way to eliminate worries and boredom. Guoxiang made people believe that being free and unfettered meant being free of everything. In 《Chuang Chou》of the Epoch of Warring States, the term of being free and unfettered resembles more what the term was understood back in the years of the Qing Dynasty and the 2 Han Dynasties. Secondly, when it comes to interpreting the term being free and unfettered from the text of 《Chuang Chou》, we come to realize that being free and unfettered is an abstracted understanding of naturally inactive and Guoxiang explains being free and unfettered as product of extended inactivity.