A Study On The History Of Hermeneutics Of The Theory Of "Understanding By Heart"

This thesis focuses on the historical hermeneutics of the theory of "understanding by heart" in the Chinese language background. What to be discussed is mainly the causes underlying the differences in the annotation, explanation, study and making use of the theory of "understanding by heart", and the academic significance in the history of literature study and the history of researches on ancient Chinese literary theory. Meanwhile what to be discussed is Chinese hermeneutics in the historical hermeneutics of the theory of "understanding by heart". This paper attempts to discuss the history of hermeneutics of the theory of "understanding by heart", the cause, and the significance of the history of hermeneutics.Firstly, with various forms of annotation, explanation, study and use of the historical hermeneutics of the theory of "understanding by heart" used by researchers,three hermeneutics stages ----- expanding the meaning, limiting the boundary andconstructing or purchasing the logic have developed .Influenced by Confucianism in the Han Dynasty, Zhao Qi explained the theory of "understanding by heart" as "understanding the author's intention with reader's perception".When discussing methods of reading and explaining the thought of Mencius, Zhu Xi interpreted the theory of "understanding by heart" as "open reader's mind for the author's mind". As an essential method of the theory "understanding by heart" in historical hermeneutics, it expanded the meaning and signified the beginning of the historical hermeneutics.After the expansion of the meaning of the theory of "understanding by heart", the scholars in the Qing dynasty established the hermeneutics by limiting the boundary , which was the second stages of the historical hermeneutics. Limiting the suitable scope of the theory of "understanding by heart" in the thought of Mencius, Yan Ruoqu , Jiao Xun ,Fang Bao regarded "understanding by heart" as assistance method for "knowing the author's thought through researching his career ",as Gu Zhen said that "One must know the author's career before applying the theory of understanding by heart'".After that, Gu Jiegang,who established modern hermeneutics of the theory of "understanding by heart", regarded "understanding by heart" as a dangerous method for the study .Other modern hermeneutists, such as, Xu Fuguan, Huang Junjie, Zhang Bowei, Zhou Guangqing, purchase the logic of the theory of "understanding by heart" when compared with western hermeneutics, which was the third stage of the historical hermeneutics.Unified hermeneutical form of annotation, explanation, study and practical application characterized the historical hermeneutics of the theory of "understanding by heart". Many scholars took the theory of "understanding by heart" as useful way for themselves in different academic background. The theory of "understanding by heart" was taken as the academic method in Mencius by Zhao Qi, as methods of Confucianism by Zhu Xi, as method of Humanities by Xu Fuguan. And many hermeneutists took "understanding by heart" as the academic method of in their study of the Book of Songs and explanation of poem.In the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, the hermeneutics of "understanding by heart" became the methodology and the understanding vision of the Book of Songs was transformed from Confucianism to literary study. And in the modern times, the hermeneutics of "understanding by heart" made that western hermeneutics was transformed into Chinese.There are different explanations: "understanding the author's intention with reader's perception ", "Open reader's mind for the author's mind " and "fusion of horizons" in the historical development in the theory of "understanding by heart".Secondly, the inheritance of tradition and the need of authority in the background of the change of language, idea, academy and culture were the external causes of the construction, development and change of the theory "understanding by heart". And the fundamental element of Chinese hermeneutics, which lied in the theory of "understanding by heart", was the intrinsic cause.The different explanation of the theory of "understanding by heart" came from different background of language, and the difference of explanation between Han Dynasty and Song Dynasty came from different background of idea. With the different academic and cultural background, different versions of "understanding by heart" have been proposed by the scholars in the Qing Dynasty and modem time.When many scholars approved the theory of "understanding by heart", all explanation concentrated on the methods of Confucianism in the effected history. When explaining the Mencius' theory of "understanding by heart", Zhao Qi, Zhu Xi and Xu Fuguan expanded the methods of Confucianism with the Mencius' theory.Finally, the theory of the historical hermeneutic of "understanding by heart" should be examined both in the academic history and in the history of thought.The theory of "understanding by heart", which was put forward by Mencius, was the fundamental element of Chinese hermeneutics. Including ontology, methodology and practice of Chinese hermeneutics, the theory of "understanding by heart" formed the basis of Chinese learning.When expanding the meaning, limited the boundary and constructing the logic, they built up a set of effective methods of explanation of "understanding by heart", which were valid methods for other theories.The different versions of the theory of "understanding by heart"—"understanding the author's intention with reader's perception ", "Open reader's mind for the author's mind " and "fusion of horizons" in the history, are the ontology, methodology in hermeneutics, and standards of morals in different backgrounds. Zhao Qi and Zhu Xi built up the moral rules of a sage in ancient Confucianism background; Xu Fuguan and Ye Weilian built up moral rules of understanding in modern background. Chinese hermeneutics unified ontology, methodology and ethical norm in the effected history in the theory of "understanding by heart".The Chinese hermeneutics theory, which should be named as Chinese Hermeneutics of "understanding by heart", is personalized hermeneutics that was characterized by transformation of traditional classical model and the theory of following the inner logic of mental experience by the ethic dialogue.With the Chinese wisdom of ethics and philosophy of mentalism, Chinese hermeneutics of "understanding by heart", which transformed western literary theories into Chinese and was formed in the transformation of ancient Chinese literary theories, is a dialogue between China and west, and a valid method in the study of the theory of "understanding by heart" and other ancient Chinese theories.In summary, as a study on effected history of the theory of "understanding by heart", this article extends the vision of the history of learning, builds up Chinese hermeneutics and explores the academic method in the study of ancient Chinese theories.The vision of the history of Chinese learning includes Confucianism before the 20th century and researches on the history of Chinese literary criticism, comparative poetics in the 20th century; the study on the theory of "understanding by heart" in this article is a comprehensive system. Without keeping the ancient apart from the modern in the history of learning, and without neglecting the historical hermeneutics of "understanding by heart", this article researches the meaning of "understanding by heart" and the hermeneutics of "understanding by heart" in the history of Chinese learning.With the ideas of "understanding the author's intention with reader's perception ", "Open reader's mind for the author's mind " and "fusion of horizons" as well as, the personal hermeneutic experience—setting up a classical model in the form of traditional transformation, and following the inner logic of mental experience by the ethics dialogue in the effected history of the theory of "understanding by heart", this article put forward to Chinese hermeneutics of "understanding by heart" based on the principle of Chinese learning and thoughts.Unified various forms of annotation, explanation, study and application , the historical hermeneutics of "understanding by heart" of Xu Fuguan, Ye Weilian, Huang Junjie, Lai Lixing, Zhang Bowei, were the practice of transformation of ancient Chinese literary theories in modern time. With expanding the meaning, limiting the boundary and constructing the logic, the Chinese hermeneutics of "understanding by heart" is the valid method in the study of ancient Chinese theories.Surpassing the simple comparison of the theory of "understanding by heart" with western hermeneutics, Chinese hermeneutics of "understanding by heart" is a valid method for communication between China and west, ancient and modern. The study on the historical hermeneutics of ancient Chinese theories is effective method for the study of comparative poetics and a good way for transforming western literary theories into Chinese.