Abstract
Throughout its long historical evolution, the Chinese nation has cultivated a profound and enduring cultural tradition, many elements of which retain remarkable vitality today. The traditional concept of “literature” of Chinese nation exemplifies this contrituity. Rooted in the principle that literary creation originates from the emotional stirrings arising between the mind and external phenomena, this tradition upholds “shaping expression according to emotion” (yin qing she cai) as a fundamental tenet governing the formation of writing norms. This emotion—centered literary philosophy differs significantly from the Western tradition, which often privileges the construction of “images” as the core aesthetic task. In contrast, the Chinese approach aligns more closely with the lived experiences and resonates strongly with the contemporary movements such as “Great Literature,” thereby meriting renewed scholarly attention.
Keywords
literary concept, historical development, Sino—Western comparison, shaping expression according to emotion
First Page
20
Last Page
28
Recommended Citation
Chen, Bohai. 2025. "Analyzing “Emotion” and Interpreting “Expression”: On the Inheritance and Development of the Concept of “Literature” of Chinese Nation." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 45, (6): pp.20-28. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol45/iss6/3
