Abstract
The communication between Wang Tao (1828-1897) and protestant missionaries in the Late Qing Dynasty focused on the Western religion and learning. When discussing Western learning, Wang Tao also used the term "literature," a term that would have great influence on the developmental history of pre-modern Chinese literary thoughts. While he had a systematic exploration into the development of Western learning and the Jesuits' works in the Late Ming, Wang Tao didn't elaborate on the concept of the term "wenxue (literature)," although he had mentioned Western poetry and other genres as well as some important Greek, Roman and British poets. Wang Tao's experience and his understanding of Western literature were developed after the protestant missionaries introduced the Western concept of literature into China and recognized the term "wenxue" as the equivalent to "literature." The historical significance of the term still holds value to contemporary academic explorations into literary and intellectual history.
First Page
65
Last Page
75
Recommended Citation
Duan, Huaiqing. 2015. "Western Literature or Western Learning? On Wang Tao's Experience and Practice." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 35, (4): pp.65-75. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol35/iss4/22
