Research On Zhou Zuo-ren’s Literary Thought From The Perspective Of Aesthetic Modernity

In the broad context of world cultures and modern philosophy, the dissertationreviews Zhou Zuo-ren’s literary thought from the perspective of aesthetic modernity.With the experience and application of modernity in Zhou Zuo-ren’s literary thought as acase study, firstly, the dissertation aims to interpret the general rules and characteristics ofmodernity theory in Chinese literary history in order to find the cause of thespeechlessness of Chinese literature and the profound connotation of modernity theory.Secondly, the dissertation aims to trace the internal logic of modernity in Chinese “newliterature” by examining Zhou Zuo-ren’s literary thought and the history of modernChinese literature by means of modernity concept. Finally, with a further interpretation ofZhou Zuo-ren’s literary thought, the dissertation seeks to make a theoretic and practicalexploration of the unfinished pursuit of China’s literary modernity.The dissertation relies on macro methodology such as aesthetics of literature and art,literary experience, literary sociology and literary psychology, as well as specificapproaches including attentive reading, literature review, comparison and comprehensiveanalysis, etc., to make a profound study of Zhou Zuo-ren’s literary thought from a broadperspective of modernity.In the introduction part, the dissertation gives a clear definition to the decision of thetopic, the purpose, the originality and significance of the research. Then, with regards toaesthetic modernity which is the very embodiment of Zhou Zuo-ren’s literary thought,the dissertation analyzes the modernity of China’s new literature and its motivation in therespects of the feature, contradiction and structure of modern Chinese literature, trying topursue the theoretic source and general theme of modern Chinese literature.With this goal in mind, the dissertation illustrates the modernity of Zhou Zuo-ren’sliterary thought and its theoretic significance from the aesthetic perspective of ideologicaland rational enlightenment, highlighting Zhou’s double contribution to enlightenmentand aesthetics. It is further indicated that Zhou’s rational pursuit has always been with theaesthetic experience, while his aesthetic efforts in literature has never escaped rationaldiscourse. Zhou Zuo-ren’s most outstanding idea is “literature of human”, which has made a contribution to the theory of natural humanity, man’s subjectivity andsubstantiality. The dissertation makes a detailed analysis of Zhou’s ideas on such binarypropositions as body and soul, material and spiritual, collective and individual, divineand human, male and female, adult and child, life and art, etc. The dissertation thenfocuses on the aesthetical salvation of Zhou Zuo-ren’s literary thought, covering Zhou’saesthetical ideal which is deeply influenced by Greek culture, his reflection upon thenature of art and his view on literary self-discipline. Zhou’s literary thought is a result ofhis insistence on the nature of literature and aesthetics and his rebellion against absoluteenlightenment. From his adherence to literary ideal to his reflection on the relationshipbetween literature and external elements as well as the internal quality of literature, ZhouZuo-ren puts forward a series of theories on emotionality, independence andtranscendence of literature, together with personality, tolerance and grace of literature,which embody the modernity of his aesthetics.After reviewing the modernity of Zhou Zuo-ren’s literary thought, the dissertationdiscloses the defects and references of his thought. It is concluded that Zhou’s confusionin pursuing aesthetic modernity is typical of aesthetic elitism, whose emphasis on naturalhumanity is always subjective to moral criticism, whose individualism is greatlyrestricted by nationalism and whose aesthetic freedom is bound to collide with socialrationalism. That’s why they are in constant anxiety, keenly experiencing emotional andideological conflicts between eastern and western culture, traditional and modern culture,aesthetics and enlightenment. It is further pointed out that aesthetics is a marginal voicein the course of new literature compared with rational enlightenment, which symbolizes aspirit of self-transcendence and creativeness, thus foreshadowing a path to a diversifiedliterature. Although the struggle of aesthetics against secularity and its defense fordiversity are often overwhelmed by enlightenment, its seeming absence indeed proves itspresence. As a matter of fact, aesthetics and enlightenmental rationality complement eachother, interact with each other and sometimes transform each other, which motivates themodernity of Chinese literature.Modernity is an “unfinished cause”, and the modernity of aesthetics will be eventrickier. The experience of Zhou Zuo-ren’s aesthetic modernity highlights the conflictbetween western individualism and traditional Chinese nationalism in the modern period. Zhou Zuo-ren lived a lonely life, but his aesthetic pursuit and theoretic foresight have aspecial significance to the present and the future as well.