Q0165
“My life has a limit, but knowledge has none. To pursue the…” — Zhuangzi (Zhuangzi, The Primacy of Nourishing Life)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Zhuangzi, The Primacy of Nourishing Life. Theme: limits.
English
My life has a limit, but knowledge has none. To pursue the limitless with the limited is perilous!
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Zhuangzi, The Primacy of Nourishing Life and files it under Daoism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Zhuangzi
Zhuangzi (Zhuang Zhou, c. 369–c.
How to read this passage
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Ludwig Wittgenstein and John Stuart Mill), limits is framed through Analytic Philosophy and Utilitarianism. Some passages define limits; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through limits, life.
Concepts in this quote
- Limits
- Limits appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat limits as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
- Life
- Philosophy quotes about life ask what makes a life good, meaningful, or worth examining—questions that drive ethics, religion, and everyday decision.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Zhuangzi. (n.d.). My life has a limit, but knowledge has none. To pursue the limitless with the limited is perilous! In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0165
MLA: Zhuangzi. “My life has a limit, but knowledge has….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0165.
Chicago: Zhuangzi. “My life has a limit, but knowledge has….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0165.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “My life has a limit, but knowledge has…”?
The passage is attributed to Zhuangzi, Zhuangzi, The Primacy of Nourishing Life. The archive attributes this English wording to Zhuangzi, The Primacy of Nourishing Life and files it under Daoism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Zhuangzi mean by limits?
Across 4 recurring voices here (notably Ludwig Wittgenstein and John Stuart Mill), limits is framed through Analytic Philosophy and Utilitarianism. Some passages define limits; others warn how it fails; still others relocate it inside habit, community, or language. This passage enters that discussion through limits, life.