A Study On The Late Qing Dynasty: The Literarure And The Confucian Classic Study

Based on the criterion of the divergence of Confucius classic study , the paper penetrates into literature and literature criticism in the late Qing Dynasty, aiming to clarify the competition posed by the native culture against the western counterpart ,in which the former failed despite its long-standing efforts. Undoubtedly, in the process the merits of native culture conservatism loomed great. The Qing literature has been confined as well as propelled by Confucius classic study. In the process of modernization of Chinese literature ,Confucius classic study has played an active and positive role by providing its own modern profound thoughts. The decline of Confucius classic study overlapped with the modernization of contemporary literature, which also reflected in the development of late Qing literature from Wei and Jin Dynasties and Southern and Northern Dynasties to the great scholars in Zhou Dynasty and Qin Dynasty. This does resemble the counter-development of late Qing Confucius classic study from ancient writing classic study in Eastern Han to up-to-date writing study in Western Han Dynasty. The formation of various literary schools in the late Qing Dynasty is in a certain degree due to the divergence of Confucius classic study, which defined and confined its theme. However the opposite literary thoughts also claimed certain progress in the meanwhile.The six chapters of the paper are arranged as following: the first three deals with the ideas of different schools. The fourth and fifth chapters investigate and analyze the viewpoint and their respective illustration of Tongcheng School and Songshi School. The last chapter clarifies the motif of Confucius classic study in literature of late Qing.Through detailed description of ancient literature, the paper tries to define the correlation between literature and Confucius classic study in late Qing dynasty, so as to specify the process of traditional literature from decline to re-birth in the late Qing with drastic social changes. It aims to enhance and extend the study on the literature in the period.