我的學術方法是將莊子內篇視為完整的文本，不管它是不是出自多人之手。這個方式很像是西方聖經學者在研究西方聖經的意義，不管它其實流傳了多少年，或其實是許多作者的作品結集。我認為這個方法更貼近莊子在傳統中國文化經典裡的重要地位，它在見證中國文化傳統裡的天人合一時的哲學和精神價值，也有助於我們理解如何擴充人類經驗的精神向度。基本上，我要證明，對於這部影響深遠的作品的學述性的文本分析，有助於我們理解它在解釋、證明和指出精神自由的道路方面的功能。我在論證中要提出的是，天地合一的嘗試的確是莊子裡的主題。我的主張是，內篇是天地合一的文學和哲學模式。我的證明方法是突顯內篇的開展本質。我首先要說明，莊子在作品開頭所說的鯤化為鵬的神話，預示了莊子的主題，也就是精神的變容。仔細檢視以下諸篇，可以證明文本的統一性和完整性。莊子諸篇形成一個開展的次第。隨著內篇的敷演，我們看到許多「畸形」的類型，從少了一條腿的「右師」，到身有殘疾的「支離疏」，最後到三重身體缺陷（支體拆裂、佝僂殘病，又無唇）的「闉跂支離無脤」。談到支離疏時，它說身有殘疾的疏，如果有殘疾的德性，那就更好了（又況支離其德者乎）。接著作為哲學的鋪陳，莊子談到楚狂，他的世俗德性的確是有殘缺的。每個角色都辯證性地發展，讓讀者的心靈隨著每個畸形人物的發展而更加開闊，直到讀者的心靈達到它所渴求的自由。正如澤雉渴望脫離樊籬，讀者的心靈也渴望脫離它概念的樊籬。隨著各種畸形形式的漸次發展，心靈也逐步掙脫世俗的概念，達到天地合一。每個畸形角色的身體缺陷都比上一個例子來得嚴重，卻都能成就超越性的自由。這就是莊子的學說，無論外形或身體的缺陷，人都可以成就天地合一。各種畸形人物都是隱喻的角色，讓讀者明白，身體的限制不會阻礙人成就天地合一，正確地理解身體的限制，才是天地合一的關鍵。莊子的信使的身體殘疾共同打破了世俗的價值判斷，讓讀者收到如何成就超越性自由的訊息。

My scholarly approach is to consider and treat the inner chapters of the Zhuangzi as an integral text regardless of whether its composition is the result of many hands. I treat this in much the same fashion as Western biblical scholars study the Western bible for its meaning, whether or not it actually came into being over many years and was the result of the work of multiple authorship. It is my opinion that such an approach is more appropriate to the eminent status of the text of the Zhuangzi in the traditional, Chinese cultural canon, to its philosophical and spiritual value as a testament to the idea of the union of heaven and earth in the Chinese cultural tradition, and to its actual functioning as a working guidebook to the understanding of how to achieve a practical expansion of the spiritual dimension of human experience. In essence, I will demonstrate that a proper academic, textual analysis of this seminal work is crucial to the understanding of how it functions as a document designed to explain, illustrate and point the way to spiritual freedom. What I would like to present is the argument that the attempt to achieve the union of heaven and earth is indeed the main theme of the Zhuangzi. My argument is that the inner chapters are a literary and philosophical model of the cosmic unity of heaven and earth. My method of showing this is to show the developmental nature of the inner chapters. I begin by arguing that the myth of K'un transforming itself into P'eng with which Zhuangzi commences his work prefigures the main theme of the Zhuangzi which is that of spiritual transformation. The unity and integrity of the text is shown by a close examination of the chapters which follow. The chapters form a developmental sequence. As the inner chapters develop, we are treated to a progression of ＂monster＂ types from the gentle and honorable form of the crippled military commander through physically crippled Shu to No-lips of triple deformity. Of Shu it is said, how much better if Shu, who is physically crippled, had crippled virtue. Then, as a philosophical development, Zhuangzi presents the madman whose conventional virtue is indeed crippled. Each character dialectically progresses, allowing the mind of the reader to expand with the progression of each monstrous character, until the mind of the reader can achieve the mental freedom that it longs for. Just as the pheasant longs to be free of its cage, so does the mind of the reader long for freedom from its cage of concepts. The mind is gradually prepared by the progressive development of the monster forms until it can break free of its conventional concepts to achieve the unity of heaven and earth. Each monstrous character shows itself in turn to be more physically limited or monstrous or different in kind than the previous example, but nonetheless capable of achieving a transcendental freedom. This is the teaching of the Zhuangzi, that regardless of form and of physical limitation, man can achieve the unity of heaven and earth. The gallery of monsters are metaphorical role models for the reader to learn the lesson that physical limitation does not hinder one from reaching heavenly unity, but the proper understanding of physical limitation is the key to unifying heaven and earth. The physical oddities of Zhuangzi's messengers work together to function to break down conventional value judgments and enable the reader of the text to receive their message which is the message of the achievement of transcendental freedom.