On Liang Shiqiu's Literary Criticism Concerning "the Theory Of Human Nature"

Liang Shiqiu is one of a few critics with independent and systematic theory on literary criticism in the history of modern Chinese literary criticism. In the history of modern Chinese literature reviews, his construct in literary criticism is unique and his research on the western literary criticism is also notable. In the era of passion burning, Liang Shiqiu held high the "theory of human nature" with a as an aristocratic elite. Being alien to the mainstream, he is a very special case of cultural phenomenon. In his literary criticism, western culture plays the leading role; the positive facets of Chinese traditional culture have been re-estimated; new cultural ideal—classic liberalism within which human beings being placed at the center of literary criticism has been advocated. Based on the humanism, Liang Shiqiu constructs characteristics of his own literary criticism by which liberalism as its cultural representation and classicism as its cultural ideal. The literary view of "the theory of human nature" combining with the personal characteristic expressions formed in the process of literary practices has reflected Liang Shiqiu's individual thinking of history and value pursuing; and uniqueness of his literary expressions and individualism has become an important supplement of Chinese various cultural thinking in 20th century.This paper consists of four parts. The first part discusses the meaning and source of Liang Shiqiu's thought on the "theory of human nature." The second part explores the influence that Liang Shiqiu's literary criticism thinking of the "theory of human nature" on the May 4th Literature and the Chinese literary criticism; Part III, who discusses the value and limitation of Liang Shiqiu's "human nature" thinking. Part IV is the concluding part, which says that with today's he rapid economic development, along with the rapid development of modem industry, people often measure their enjoyment of the material fruits of scientific development with figures while ignoring the real needs in their inner mind. Therefore, Liang Shiqiu has provided us a new perspective to see the modern society, and this can help to keep the balance between the materialism and the development of science.