Yóuguó Ēn: A Lecture on the History of Chinese Literature

Author: You Guoen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Scholars of literary history should focus on capturing the essence and major aspects, which can be summarized in four points:
1. Exploring the rise and decline of literature.
2. Investigating the changes in literature.
3. Verifying the authenticity of literary works.
4. Evaluating the value of literature.
This lecture series is particularly extensive and detailed in these four aspects.
Tianjin Ancient Books Publishing House plans to publish a series titled Lectures by Renowned Scholars. The title is quite clear in its meaning. They came to seek my opinion, and I strongly approved.
These scholars were all well-known academicians who taught at famous universities in China during the 20th century. Their academic reputations are already well-established. Scholars like Zhou Youyi and Zhu Ziqing are considered masters of their generation.
Other scholars such as You Guoen, Lei Haizong, and Zhou Zumo are also authorities in their respective academic fields. Although they have passed away many years ago, their legacy continues to inspire future generations. Their influence on scholars has long been profound.
While they have left behind numerous classic works, many of their lecture notes, which were once widely used, have been largely overlooked and are at risk of being lost.
In my opinion, these lecture notes must contain invaluable treasures.
These days, we often hear calls to "rescue cultural heritage." Isn’t the series being published by Tianjin Ancient Books precisely such a meritorious endeavor?
I believe these lecture notes are extremely precious works that deserve to be preserved for posterity. Bringing them together for publication will benefit the academic community and is indeed a great and commendable achievement.