The First One Who Has Proposed The Suspicions On Ancient Works Ouyang Xiu's Thoughts Of Suspicion On Ancient Works And His Achievements In This Aspect

The history of China's falsified book is long. Literature falsication and literature differentiation are the two sides of a coin. The idea and action of differentiating falsified books appear after very early. Although the ideology of literature differentiation mainly appears in the field of literature collection and compilation, it also carry weight to literary creation. For example,Ouyang Xiu's ideology of literature differentiation have great influence upon developing path of ancient Chinese prose movement in the Northern Song Dynasty. The present thesis, through compiling Ouyang xiu's literature differentiation activities, attempts a summary of his ideology of literature differentiation, and prosecute an analysis on the connection of Ouyang xiu's ideology of literature differentiation and the ancient Chinese prose movement in the Northern Song Dynasty.The thesis consists of three parts: preface, main text and conclusion.In the preface, the author briefly mentions the instances of litrature falsication in ancient China, and points out the background for such a phenomenon. In the end of the preface, the significance for choosing such a topic will be given.The main text is composed of four chapters.The first chapter, which is entitled"the history of literature differentiation studies from the Warring States Period to the Song dynasty", briefly retrospects the appearance and development of the ideas of literature differentiation before the Northern Song Dynasty.The second chapter, which is entitled"the achievement of Ouyang Xiu's literature differentiation", aims to embody Ouyang Xiu's achievement in literature differentiation and summarize his methods in it through an analysis of his representative works such as Yi Tongzi Wen, Yi Huowen, Chuanyi Tuxu, Shi Benyi, Chunqiu Lun, Chunqiu Huowen, TaiShi Lun, Shiyi Lun, Diwang Shici Tuxu, Wuchengwang Miaowen Jinshice Ershou, Wen Jinshice Sanshou, etc., and such poems as Reading, and Huolin Zeng Yaopi Xianbei.The third chapter, which is entitled"backgrounds for the appearance of Ouyang Xiu's thoughts of suspicion of ancient works and literature differentiation", summarizes the reasons for the appearance of Ouyang Xiu's thoughts of suspicion of ancient works and literature differentiation from the persective of era and individual. They are as follows: First, the increase of scholars'rationality in the Song Dynasty; Second, the influence of Buddhism upon the thoughts of the scholars of the Song Dynasty; Third, the advantages for reading offered to scholars by the development of engraving technique;Fourth, the influence of thoughts of suspicion on ancient books of Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan upon the ideology of Ouyang Xiu.;Fifth, A rational examination on classics is one of the direct factors accounting for the appearance of the thoughts of suspicion on ancient works; Sixth, the truth-seeking concept with the aim of"practical use"is the second factor accounting for the appearance of Ouyang Xiu's thoughts of suspicion on ancient works.The fourth chapter, which is entitled"the important role of Ouyang Xiu's thoughts of suspicion on the ancient Chinese prose movement in the northern Song Dynasty", mainly points out that his thoughts of suspicion on ancient works represent an attitude of truth-seeking, embody the courage to break through constraints and to innovate, and show his character strength of self-independence, self-reliance and self-confidence. Ouyang Xiu's thoughts of suspicion on ancient works enable him to regulate the relationship between"wen"and"dao", form his particular literary style featured by circumbendibus and sway, disregard the objections around to recreate"the style of taixue", and lead the prose in imitation of ancient works in the Song Dynasty to a correct road of simplicity and smoothness. Besides, Ouyang Xiu has properly dealt with the relationship between parallel prose and ordinary prose, made a complete reform on parallel prose, and in the end has broken parallel proses'style of colorfulness and exaggeration.The concluding part further expounds the influence of Ouyang Xiu's thoughts of suspicion on ancient works. He can be regarded as the forrunner of the trend of doubting the credibility of ancient works in the Qingli Period. Other representative figures of the trend include three other literary masters in the Northern Song Dynasty: Wang Anshi, Su Shi and Su Zhe. The further development of the Song literature has a close relationship with such a trend.