The Manifestation And Evolution Of Chinese Literati's Writing Ethics

With the rise of interdisciplinary research, literary ethical criticism is becoming a concern among literati scholars. Similar to'Narrative Ethics','Writing Ethics'also attempts to break the disciplinary boundaries of literature and ethics, though it is relatively new as a term. However, unlike 'Narrative Ethics','Writing Ethics'is not given to explore the ethical dimension of literary rhetoric, but to grant the ethical dimension to writing acts. Since writing in itself is a communicative act, there is a natural ethical relation between the writer and readers. And this thesis is to analyze writing acts on the level of ethics, exploring the different choices writers make between'true'and'good', and the way writers deal with personal expression and mass appeal. Thus, research object is transferred from text to writing agent—the writer; accordingly, research methods are no longer limited to a certain work or close reading, but refer to historical background and information from all sides (other works or statements of the writer); since it is the ethical dimension of writing act, writing ethics is not exactly the same as ethics in reality, but rather formed by the inter-subjectivity between the writer and readers, which has its own basis in different ages.Overall, conforming to the current trend of literary ethical criticism, this thesis will take the writing agent as the access to ethical requirements inherent in writing acts, and interpret the changes in writing ethics through the time thread'Ancient - Modern- Post-modern", which shows the different ways ancients and moderns view their ethical mission in writing process.The first part is to present the classical writing ethics in the manifestation of esotericism by Wei-Jin literati GanBao and Cao Pi. Though revealing the atheistic thoughts esoterically in theory writings read by minority, the ancients highlight the existence of the supernatural in popular literature read by majority, subordinating personal expression to mass appeal in turbulent ages. Such writing acts as'not talk out all that's known', hiding real thoughts and harsh truths from the general public, though in suspicion of'bully the public'or'fool the public', manifest the ethical mission of classical writers, subordinating'true'to'good'The second part is to present the modern writing ethics in the manifestation of revealing truth by the Enlightenment literati Lu Xun and Zhou ZuoRen. Even realizing the ghosts and gods as the spirit carriers among the mass, the writers chose to expose truth rather than provide moral strength by their stories. After all, the exposure of truth is superior to the advocacy of'good', and mass appeal thus subordinates to personal expression. Harsh as truth is, the genuine knowledge is still bared to enlighten the mass, which manifests the modern writing ethics, subordinating'good'to'true'.The third part is to present the post-modern writing ethics in the manifestation of writers' self-subversion by the Root-seeking literati Han ShaoGong and Wang AnYi. Even resorting to traditional customs, the root-seeking literati couldn't help exposing the ignorance of convention. Owing to absolute revelation and absolute candor, root-seeking works finally turned into the criticism of root. Standing in continuity with modern writing ethics as subordinating'good'to'true', the post-modern writing ethics is even more aggressive in seeking and baring truth, which led to writers'self-subversion.In view of the different ways writers dealt with witchery and ghost convention, we find ancients subordinated'true'to'good'while moderns subordinated'good'to'true'. Ancients' esotericism and moderns'candor are due to their different views of ethical requirements in writing process, which shows the changes of writing ethics--from'good'to'true', from moral cultivation to truth exposure, from meeting mass appeal to granting harsh truth. Does knowing truth necessarily mean to reveal or disseminate truth? The fall of the Enlightenment hope shown by Lu Xun, as well as the contemporary dilemma shown by Han ShaoGong, is definitely calling upon us to reconsider writing ethics. Above all, not everyone is required to reach the elites'intellectual depth, and not everyone is able to do it, to be a Lu Xun's'warrior' facing harsh truth; on the other hand, society needs morality to maintain and mass needs a spiritual home to rely on. If we can understand the ancients'concern and learn from it, there will possibly be a way out of Enlightenment plight from ancients'esotericism.