魏晉之際儒家經術衰微而老莊思想抬頭，玄學家往往成為後代人批評清談虛浮之風導致禮壞樂崩中原傾覆的罪魁禍首。自正始玄學何晏、王弼始，以無為本，「崇本息末」，亦即會通孔老，解決自然與名教的衝突成為思想主流；而後的竹林莊學興盛，衝決網羅，為現實虛偽的名教禮法展開激烈的批判。嵇康的「越名教而任自然」，卻成了西晉元康以降名士們裸裎露醜、放蕩越禮的藉口，形成嚴重的敗壞風氣。從樂廣「名教中自有樂地」、裴頠的《崇有論》到郭象的注《莊》，其實都是要糾正這種自然與名教之間的絕裂矛盾，試圖調和二者的緊張關係。 玄風南渡之後，元康以來的放蕩之風並未稍歇，自然與名教的衝突從原本政治秩序的問題轉變擴大為社會秩序家族倫理方面，自然與名教的關係問題仍未獲得解決。東晉的玄學即在一股玄禮雙脩、綜合儒道的學術風氣中逐漸成形，其中王坦之的〈廢莊論〉即為主要代表。王坦之為東晉中期主要思想家，打著「廢莊」的口號，批判當時的清談虛浮之風。〈廢莊論〉認為︰（一）莊子獨構之唱，有體無用；（二）莊子之學導致蕩肆風氣；（三）回歸「在儒非儒，非道有道」的孔老之學。〈廢莊論〉批評「莊生作而風俗頹」，造成了放浪之風，目的在於回歸「孔老之學」，反映了東晉綜合儒道的整體方向。結論指出，〈廢莊論〉在玄學史上的意義在於，呼應回歸正始玄學會通孔老的立場。從魏晉玄學的發展與竹林莊學以降的玄學與反玄學、莊學與反莊學的反省脈絡看來，玄學家們認為時代放蕩之風並非「昔吾孔老，固已言之」的玄學主流所應承擔的問題。〈廢莊論〉對於莊子的批評，見仁見智，但它表明了，把放蕩風氣歸罪於何晏、王弼會通孔、老的正始玄學是無法成立的。

　　　　　Wang T'an-chih (330-375) was an important politician and thinker of the Mid-Eastern Chin dynasty, as well as a famous exponent of the later Wei-Chin hsuan-hsueh. His “An Essay on Abolishing Chuang-tzu” is indeed one of the most representative works of harmonizing Confucianism and Taoism in Eastern Chin philosophy. With proper perspective from criticism and reflection on the liberating atmosphere of this period, and looking at it in terms of the whole philosophical development of hsuan-hsueh, we can rightly comprehend the opposition between Wang T'an-chih and Chuang-tzu. This paper studies first of all the thought expressed in Wang T'an-chih's essay vis-a-vis the earlier topics in hsuan-hsueh. Consequently, the author proceeds to analyze this text's relevant points and theoretical basis, by explaining its relationship to Confucius and Lao-tzu. Finally, in the conclusion, the author illuminates “An Essay on Abolishing Chuang-tzu”'s role within the context of the history of hsuan-hsueh in the Wei-Chin period.