The Centipede and the Snakes: Zhuangzi, Perspectival Anthropocentrism and Multispecies Thinking

Multispecies thinking articulates a core tension: the attempt to imagine the world in terms of other species’ needs and behaviours; and the unavoidability of perspectival anthropocentrism; the fact that we cannot live, perceive and think except from within our human body and cognitive system. This paper explores how Zhuangzi (Taoism) navigates this tension by analysing three selected stories: the centipede and the snake, the mirror and Mr. Tai. First, the idea of perspectival anthropocentrism constitutes an unavoidable epistemological ground. Second, considering multispecies needs and agency leads to three practical pathways: (a) letting go of our judgments and desires; (b) engaging in dynamic embodied practices; (c) accepting not to know and letting things be. To conclude, the epistemological and ethical insights inspired by Zhuangzi can, combined with the observations gathered through sciences, pave the way to develop further ethical and methodological tools to bring us closer to multispecies sustainability.