Abstract
This article focuses on the relationship between literary views and article studies of May Fourth scholars from the perspective of hermeneutics, in order to re-explain the connotation of “Chinese literary theory” and consider the construction of a Chinese literary theory discourse system. Rooted in interpretations of the interplay between literature and dao, May Fourth scholars reshaped the traditional framework, shifting the focus to the relationship between literature and humanity, through the integration of ideals and dao. Their commitment to broad, applied literary views led to a progression from a simple division between cultural traits and literary function to a more complex fourfold classification of literature. These scholars also returned to an ethically driven interpretive awareness, with the goal of inspiring individuals and reviving the nation, as seen in their promotion of vernacular writing and realist literary forms. This invention within traditional boundaries suggests that the “modern development” of ancient literary theory may serve as a viable alternative to the concept of “modern transformation.” Through a return to holistic philosophical methodologies, this article positions “Chinese literary theory” as a dynamic system, integrating ancient, modern, and contemporary frameworks, and proposes a comparative analysis of key categories (resource-based, referential, endogenous) to establish a coherent and historically continuous discourse system that transcends its time.
Keywords
literature, articles, hermeneutics, Chinese literary theory, continuity and transcendence
First Page
29
Last Page
38
Recommended Citation
Xu, Xu. 2025. "The Invention of Tradition: From Ancient “Articles” to May Fourth “Literature” — A Concurrent Explanation of the Connotation of “Chinese Literary Theory”." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 44, (6): pp.29-38. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol44/iss6/4
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