Literary History

Author: J. (USA), Xiong Jian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: This book points out a reasonable route in the vast sea of literary books, allowing you to understand the profound masterpieces without missing the true treasures hidden in unnoticed corners. Reading is also a beautiful art, though not as grand as other arts, the truth that "creation through reception" still holds. All arts thrive in this cycle. Literature, in particular, is written for readers like this by J..
Human knowledge is like a river, flowing from the beginning of civilization, with tiny streams merging into mighty rivers, traversing the vast expanse of history, and flowing into the modern era and the future. In its course, as "tributaries" continuously join, the "basin" of human knowledge has become so vast that it is difficult to grasp today. In every field of science, dozens of disciplines have emerged, each surpassing the other in precision. Through telescopes, countless constellations and galaxies have been discovered, let alone naming them one by one. Geology deals with millions of years, while in the past, people's understanding was limited to just thousands of years. Physics has discovered a small universe within atoms, while biology has revealed a microscopic world within cells. Physiology has uncovered endless mysteries in every dream. Anthropology has reconstructed the ancient appearance of humans. Archaeology has brought long-lost cities and nations back to light, while history has proven the illusory nature of all past events, painting a panoramic picture that only someone like Oswald Spengler or Edward Meyer could grasp. Theology and political theory are crumbling, inventions make life and war increasingly complex, economic policies lead governments to change rapidly, fueling public discontent. Once, certain philosophies that gathered all sciences under their banner and depicted the world as orderly and perfect were able to coordinate such arduous tasks. Now, they have lost the courage to undertake such responsibilities, retreated from the battlefield of truth, and hide in deep, narrow corners, timidly avoiding the problems and responsibilities of the world. Knowledge has become an unbearable burden for humanity, and the human mind cannot bear it anymore.
Two hundred to three hundred years after Francis Bacon declared "knowledge is power," the explosive growth of knowledge has nearly overwhelmed humanity's ability to bear it. When experts blind themselves to the whole world, focusing only on the tiny patch in front of their noses—wholeness disappears, "facts" replace understanding, and fragmented knowledge no longer produces wisdom or power. It is this "dehumanization" of knowledge that makes the general public fear and avoid "inhuman torment," causing a large portion of human knowledge to stagnate.
Facing this situation, perhaps the only way is to study philosophy, reflect on oneself, and understand how philosophers view the world, in order to gain a better understanding of our world and everything we face, guiding our actions rather than simply pursuing obvious goals. When A Short History of Literature was published, thousands of readers welcomed its accessible and enlightening summary of this fascinating field, making it a bestseller for a time. This book points out a reasonable route in the vast sea of literary books, allowing you to understand the profound masterpieces without missing the true treasures hidden in unnoticed corners.