Modern Confucian Scholarship and Literature

Author: Liu Zaihua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: This is an academic monograph studying the relationship between modern Confucian studies and literature. The book examines modern literature and literary theory based on the division of Confucian thought, thereby revealing that Confucianism, as a major cultural force, although revealing a strong tendency toward cultural conservatism and ultimately ending in failure in its competition with Western learning, also demonstrated efforts to keep pace with the times and provided modernized intellectual resources inherent in itself, playing a positive role in the transformation of Chinese literature. The "inverted evolution" of modern Confucian studies from the ancient literature of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the contemporary literature of the Western Han Dynasty parallels the development trajectory of modern old-style literature, which traced back to the Wei, Jin, Six Dynasties, and Zhou-Qin philosophers, showing remarkable similarities. The division of Confucian thought to some extent determined the formation of modern literary schools and exerted a normative and restrictive influence on the thematic forms of literature. Correspondingly, certain anti-Confucian literary trends have always existed during the development of modern literature. The book, excluding the "Introduction" and "Conclusion," is divided into six chapters. The first three chapters discuss the literary theories of Confucian scholars from different schools, such as the contemporary Confucianists like Gong Zizhen and Wei Yuan, the ancient Confucianists like Liu Shipei and Zhang Taiyan, and those who combined Han and Song Confucianism with ancient and modern Confucianism. Chapters four and five examine the Confucian stance and literary discourse of the Tongcheng School and the Song Poetry School, respectively. Chapter six analyzes the Confucian themes in modern literature. Compared to existing research on modern literature, this book emphasizes drawing conclusions from materials and facts, offering a novel perspective and deepening and transcending previous understandings. This is an academic monograph studying the relationship between modern Confucian studies and literature. The book examines modern literature and literary theory based on the division of Confucian thought, thereby revealing that Confucianism, as a major cultural force, although revealing a strong tendency toward cultural conservatism and ultimately ending in failure in its competition with Western learning, also demonstrated efforts to keep pace with the times and provided modernized intellectual resources inherent in itself, playing a positive role in the transformation of Chinese literature. The "inverted evolution" of modern Confucian studies from the ancient literature of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the contemporary literature of the Western Han Dynasty parallels the development trajectory of modern old-style literature, which traced back to the Wei, Jin, Six Dynasties, and Zhou-Qin philosophers, showing remarkable similarities. The division of Confucian thought to some extent determined the formation of modern literary schools and exerted a normative and restrictive influence on the thematic forms of literature. Correspondingly, certain anti-Confucian literary trends have always existed during the development of modern literature. The book, excluding the "Introduction" and "Conclusion," is divided into six chapters. The first three chapters discuss the literary theories of Confucian scholars from different schools, such as the contemporary Confucianists like Gong Zizhen and Wei Yuan, the ancient Confucianists like Liu Shipei and Zhang Taiyan, and those who combined Han and Song Confucianism with ancient and modern Confucianism. Chapters four and five examine the Confucian stance and literary discourse of the Tongcheng School and the Song Poetry School, respectively. Chapter six analyzes the Confucian themes in modern literature. Compared to existing research on modern literature, this book emphasizes drawing conclusions from materials and facts, offering a novel perspective and deepening and transcending previous understandings.