The Research Of Value And Chinese Literary Theories

There is a great tradition in ancient Chinese literary theories: the emphasis and upholding of the value of reason in literature. However, the ancient reason of value, or the conception of value, has been widely misunderstood, reproached and criticized in modern time, which has, to some and even a large extent, concealed the true context and nature of the traditional Chinese theory of value in the literary writings. The objective of the dissertation is to review the content of the traditional theory of value in ancient literature, attempting to interpret and discuss it by returning to the ancient context.The dissertation is divided into seven parts. The introduction is about the writer's motivation and train of thought; the first chapter discusses the complexity of the relationship between the doctrinal theory and the reason of value, and the very essence of the doctrinal theory itself as well; the second chapter explores the foundation of "the theory of glorification and criticism (mei ci)" and the connotation of the reason of value in the explanation of the scholars in the Han dynasty about such theory; the third chapter discusses the "criticism to the world (yuan)" and its relations far or near with the reason of value, and also analyzes the concrete connotation of "criticism within tolerance (yuan er bu nu)" and "criticism without reservation (yuan er mi)"; the fourth chapter discusses the content in the reason of value offenggu. and differentiates different ways in Confucian theory offenggu in its reason of value; the fifth chapter the metaphysical literary theories in Confucianism and its connotation of reason of value. The writer holds that these theories aim high at "the larger self (da wo)" among nature and human, while the Daoist metaphysical literary theories are combined into oneness with "freedom." The basic logic from chapter one through chapter five is from the pursuit of the response to and function of actual world to the persistence to transcendence and metaphysical value. The conclusion of the dissertation is the further discussion, trying to emphasize the necessity and importance in the idea that researchers in traditional Chinese literary theories, and in the theory of value and conception of "literature" must have the understanding of and sympathy with the ancient people.