20th Century Chinese Social Sciences. Volume on Literature

Author: Wang Tiexian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Over the past century, there have been three major reassessments, each of which constructed a new knowledge system, category, concepts, discourse, and even paradigm for China. These reassessments provided new theoretical foundations and action plans for China's salvation and survival, the transformation of Chinese civilization, the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the development of China's revolution and modernization. As a result, Chinese social sciences have moved towards society and the people, penetrating into people's entire spiritual and material lives, and permeating the comprehensive transformation of social systems. The development of Chinese social sciences over this century has provided a powerful spiritual driving force and a solid spiritual pillar for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In this century, Chinese social sciences have undergone three large-scale reassessments of preceding academic, intellectual, and cultural traditions. Each reassessment not only brought a major leap forward in social sciences but also brought about a widespread ideological liberation and a significant improvement in the quality of the populace. In fact, the reassessment continues to this day. This has shaped the character of Chinese social sciences—combining timeliness, progressiveness, and diversity. This volume is one of the series "20th Century Chinese Social Sciences," with the title "Literary Studies." The content does not include literary creation, although some discussions inevitably touch upon aspects closely related to literary creation. The book provides a comprehensive review of the century-long changes and developments in 20th-century Chinese literary studies, detailing the growth and major achievements of its various sub-disciplines (including aesthetic studies) in the 20th century, outlining the major debates in the development of Chinese literary studies, introducing the research institutions, associations, periodicals, academic exchanges between China and the world, and the publication of series and reference books during this period. At the end of the book, there is an appendix listing the major events in the development of 20th-century Chinese literary studies. It is an academic work that offers a systematic and comprehensive summary of the development of 20th-century Chinese literary studies.