Law and Literature: Using Traditional Chinese Drama as Material

Author: Su Li
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: This book explores the dimension of law in Chinese classical literature. Although Su Li repeatedly emphasizes that his interpretation of the classics is not the traditional "allegory" or implication, the issues he addresses are indeed current and future, and his analysis is often intertwined with personal emotions and mere imagination detached from the text. It is inevitable that some parts lack rigor, and it is not surprising that he has received various criticisms. However, it must be admitted that the methods he adopts and the conclusions he draws are highly inspiring to us. (Luo Chunwei) – People’s Literature News
This book attempts to expand a new field in contemporary Chinese legal theory research – law and literature. I will primarily use traditional Chinese dramas as material to analyze some legal or law-related theoretical issues. Although the material used is literary and historical, and thus local, my fundamental concern is current, realistic, and therefore general. This concern is manifested in two ways: first, I attempt to elucidate, from a theoretical logical perspective – rather than through traditional "allegory" or implication – the relevance of these issues to the construction of law and order in contemporary China; second, in this effort, I hope to create the possibility of Chinese law and literature studies as a branch of legal theory research, and more generally – consistent with my previous efforts – to create the possibility of thinking about our theoretical issues in China while giving them a general significance. The former focuses on legal institutions, while the latter focuses on legal theory.