| According to the statistics in2013, Malaysian Chinese accounted for21.9%of Malaysia’s total population. Although these overseas Chinese are Malaysian citizens seen from their nationality, they have a Chinese cultural background. Malaysian Chinese community has retained the traditional culture from ancient China. Undoubtedly, these traditional cultures belong to Chinese" cultural heritage" that existed overseas. Why China’s traditional culture can develop in the land of Malaysia with a long history? Why Malaysian Chinese insist on preserving these traditions? And how do they keep and develop these traditions? Meanwhile, through what channel or media have these traditions been handed down? And what’s the influence of these traditions on their life and views of ethics? These issues are the major focus that this paper is trying to deal with.Born as a Malaysian Chinese, I would like to find out the answer and promote cultural exchange between China and Malaysia. The reason why this paper will discuss above-mentioned issues through "literary classics" lies in that literature is the art of ethics in nature and the value of literature is realized through its guidance function. Therefore, we can say that literature is the carrier of culture. The function of ethical guidance constitutes the major reason for the spreading of Chinese literary classics to Malaysia. The Chinese cultural tradition is full of glory from ancient times to Middle Ages so that a "East Asian Confucian cultural circle" formed in Asia. Apart from Malaysia, the countries that accepted Chinese culture include Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and Singapore etc. These countries inherited and developed traditional Chinese culture through the acquisition and interpretation of Chinese "literary classics". However, among all of them, Chinese in Malaysia alone has kept a relatively intact traditional Chinese culture. Literary classics spread to Malaysia through the media of "people"---their readers, and precisely this classic literature became the carrier of cultural tradition."Literary classics" not only enjoy an important position in the history of literature, but also a non-ignorable part in the history of culture. Therefore, we can find out the reason and answer for questions raised in this paper by discussing the ethical values of literary classics. To a large extent, the spreading of these literary classics means the "spreading of ethics". Because what Malaysian Chinese accepted from these literary classics are their ethical values. These values permeated deeply into their "blood" and reflected in their daily views on ethics and behaviors. Passed down from generation to generation, these ethical values exerted a significant influence on their life.Combined with the analysis of ethical values in literary classics, this paper is going to make a systematic study on the spreading and influence of Chinese literary classics in Malaysia. Firstly, this paper will define the scope of the classic Chinese literature, list the bibliography of literary classics, figure out the different understandings of "classics" between China and Western countries, and eventually, to discuss the concept of classic Chinese literature for Malaysian Chinese. As to the background and ethical environment for its spreading to Malaysia, we’ll discuss them by investigating objective environment and collecting data. Then we’ll explore the channels and media through which the traditional Chinese culture was spread, and finally its influence. Meanwhile, this paper will also discuss how Malaysian Chinese promoted these classics to achieve the goal of wide spreading as well as the function of teaching, and explain that the Malaysian Chinese sustained their family emotions, relieved their feelings of homesickness, cultural complex and established their personal ethical value systems by reading these Chinese literary classics. Why these Chinese Malaysian Chinese chose these Chinese literary classics? And in turn, what’s the meaning of these classics to the Malaysian Chinese community as a whole? The key of this paper is to explore the revival and rejuvenation of the Chinese literary classics in Asia. Lastly, from the perspective of comparison and reference, we’ll discuss the ethical values and prominent characteristics possessed by Chinese literary classics to point out its positive meaning to the social and human development of Malaysia, even the Asia as a whole. In addition to the introduction and conclusion, this article will discuss these issues through six chapters of exposition.The introduction part discusses the significance of this topic first, then makes a brief review of the history and current situation at home and abroad for the studies on Chinese in Southeast Asia, Malaysian Chinese, relations between Malaysia and China and Sinology. The literature review part combs recent studies on Chinese in Southeast Asia and Malaysian Chinese at home. And yet it has found that there is still no systematic study on the relationship between literary classic and Malaysia at home. Existing research includes just a few scattered texts in circulation and the study of cultural exchange. Besides, the studies on the influence of Confucianism in Malaysia are most concentrated in the areas of sociology, economics and modernization; there is almost no systematic research that started from the perspective of literature. At the same time, the literature review also analyzes Malaysia’s achievements in the study of Sinology and points out its existing problems. Based on above analysis, we present the characteristics of this study. Through the critical method of literary ethics, we propose the view that ethics constitute the essence of literature to explain that Chinese literary classics based on ethical value is spread and accepted by Malaysian Chinese. Integrated with actual ethical environment, a set of ethical norms that suited to local needs better and obeyed by Malaysian Chinese emerged, which makes the traditional Chinese culture carried by literature be transformed and revitalized in Malaysia. The first chapter aims at analyzing the ethical enlightenment process of "literary classics" to explore how is "the literature" being turned into "classic" with the change of time and space and how are them being accepted and handed down in specific ethical environment and then become the ethical values and behavior guidance for people. This chapter also tries to prove that the ethical nature and teaching function are the major conditions for literature works to become classics. We’ll figure out the different understandings of "classic" between china and the Western countries, and make a distinction between "classic literature" and "literary classics" by exposing the relationship between "classics" and "literature". Chinese literary classics spread to Malaysia during a long time, and became the wisdom source for early immigrants to Malaysia and native of Malaysian Chinese in their lifelong learning. The process that they accept these literary classics is actually the process of ethical acceptance. Fused with literature, history and philosophy though, Chinese literary classics are seen as a model of ethical conduct for Malaysian Chinese. In turn, this precisely shows their acceptance of ethical values in classic literature.The second chapter discusses the specific conditions that "literary classics" are spread and retained in Malaysia by combing the history of cultural exchange between China and Malaysia and its ethical background. In this chapter, our discussion can be divided into three parts:First, the ethical ties between China and Malaysia since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries; Second, starting from the identity shift of Malaysian Chinese, we’ll analyze the issue of "ethical identity shift" that inevitably caused by environment change or environmental factors and talk about the particularity of "Malaysian Chinese culture". Because the cultural value system in depth for Malaysian Chinese belongs to "Chinese" cultural tradition. These value systems have been kept through the wide reading of Chinese literary classics and functioned for Malaysian Chinese to "seek roots" and "settle down"; Third, this part will discuss how Malaysian Chinese choose between "naturalization" and "assimilation" from the immigration culture of Malaysian Chinese society, and explore how the Malaysian Chinese, based on "inheritance","innovation" and "development", revive the ethical value system characterized by the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in Malaysia.Chapter3aims to analyze the condition and motivation behind the renewal of the Chinese classics in Malaysia through the cultural exchange of immigrants, the Chinese home consciousness and identity of traditional ethics."Literary classics" is the treasure of Chinese traditional culture, which can most represent the essence of Chinese culture in the books, the most comprehensive in the list of literature history, including history, philosophy, literature, language, and many other aspects, such as medicine and science and technology. It is the crystallization of the wisdom of ancient sages, and an important medium of to spread traditional Chinese culture. The spread of classics of Chinese literature in Malaysia, and even Southeast Asian nations is not accidental, because it has the propagation environment and the renewal condition and motivation. The distribution of Chinese population overseas has become one of the necessary conditions, in other words, the spreading of the literary classics is linked to the historical process of the Chinese people living abroad. Literature classics through the "people" as the medium need to continue to be accepted and transformed, to adjust itself to local conditions, in spite of time inconsistency, so as to develop a set of ethical values more suitable for the locals. Literature classics mainly transmitted in Malaysia by early immigrants, for the attachment of our identity and the persistence of the homeland consciousness. In the Chinese society, groups of Chinese people promote the particularity of classic Chinese literature to retain their identity, and to enhance their own culture through reading. So the classical literature not only has an important impact on the survival and development of overseas Chinese, but also on promoting cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world.Chapter4introduces the many facets of the literary classics spread in Malaysia, from children’s enlightenment books to the book included in school curriculum, from folk organizations to classic Chinese literature. These are not strange to people, especially for those who advocate the research and application of Confucianism. It has a great impact on the Malaysians. This chapter seeks to answer the question of why it is necessary for Malaysian to spread the Chinese culture, with the method of communication, broadcasting and cultural anthropology to comb different literature classic types. How these literature classics are absorbed by the local people? Why these literary works is considered to be classic? What is the core value for the Malaysian in Chinese literature classics? The whole of these literature works can be classified into:first, Confucian classics; Second, the renowned works collected; Three, the classical fiction; Four, readings for children. These four categories are analyzed and expounded according to the classic circulating levels and phenomenon in Malaysia. The lineage of Chinese literature classic to Malaysia helps Malaysian to untie identity confusion, and to find a kind of human ethics. For every Malaysian Chinese, reading classic literature becomes part of every personal upbringing, and it is one of the ways to cultivate one’s morality. There is also the ethical and moral indoctrination in text materials. Malaysian Chinese through reading ethical culture, think that the traditional classic literary works irrigate and nourish their heart, not only making people more self-restraint, but also giving them guidance in worldly affairs through the motto of sages. It is one of the necessary conditions for a person to pursue happiness.Chapter5explores the media of literary classics. It is divided into three parts, including schools, Chinese community and other organizations like newspaper, folk religion groups and guild, etc. It mainly solves the problem of how literary Canon is spread and circulated and by what way. Firstly, it is spread by the school education and the curriculum, combined with the investigation and statistics of the course editor; secondly, it is due to the social organizations and academic research, including the Chinese community with newspapers, folk religion groups and guild organizations, etc. For example, newspapers, magazines, some clubs such as Chinese culture association, Chinese community information center, Confucius institute, institute of Zhu xi’s academic seminar, Xiao’en research center of Confucianism held a variety of symposium from time to time on Chinese culture and classical literature. This sums up various literature classic modes of transmission to the local.Chapter6focuses on the discussion of the ethical value of Chinese classical literature. It uses content analysis method combined with communication, control, experimental method and case study method. At the same time it employs the field work method in cultural anthropology, in-person investigation method, comprehensive investigation method and comparison method. From food, clothing, shelter, line and other family education to the social collective consciousness of Malaysian Chinese, the thesis attempt to illustrate the profound influence on various aspects of people’s lives. The influence is divided into three parts to illustrate, including religious belief, traditional festivals and art performance.The conclusion part, based on the overall conclusion of each part, evaluates the value of Chinese classical literature again from the following three aspects; first, the transform from traditional Chinese to traditional Malaysian Chinese; second, the value of classic Chinese literature; Third, the renewal of Chinese literature tradition. Only by tracing back to the classic of Chinese literature, can we hope to find the Asian culture, and establish its status on the world stage. Through the spreading of Chinese literature classics, Malaysian Chinese in the process of absorption in morality retained the traditional culture of China. Malaysian Chinese literature classic accepts "ethics" of Chinese culture, and reflects on their ethical values in life."Classic" is a "classic" for its unique life story."Literature" is the "literature", for its essence of "ethics" and "moral" function. The classic of Chinese literature classic which regulates value and vitality of its ethical values and the moral function not only worth our attention, but also worth spreading the "literary classics" to countries around the world. And the illustration of the importance of literature for the social development and human development and rejuvenation can only be attained in literary classics.The author believes that it is an important basis for national identity and cultural identification. Careful study and development of the ethical values of Chinese literature classics calls for the return of human virtue and reconstruction, and the construction of ethics has important immediate significance. Based on the study and investigation of Malaysian’s absorption of Chinese literature classics, this thesis proves the moral function of literature. I hope that the essence of the literary classics will draw more attention and will be widely spread to the public. |
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