Chinese Studies Commons^™

Le Cinéma Comme Expérimentation Philosophique, Badiou Alain, Yang Li

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Badiou starts with three concrete situations and proposes that the mission of philosophy lies in thinking about choice, distance and exception. As cinema creates a new synthesis from ruptures, it becomes an experimentation of philosophical situation. Philosophy can reveal the implications of the cinema from five differents dimentions: image, experience of time, continuity, order of the arts and art/non-art. Cinema doesn't deny difference, but construct a new relation out of heterogeneous relations between different art forms, constructed time and real duration, forms of popular culture, models of grand moral conflicts, and between love and politics, etc. Cinema is an absolutely …

Obstacles Of Reception And The Textual Features Of Wu Jingzhi'sThe Scholars, Yongqiang Liu

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The paper claims that the spread of Wu Jingzhi's The Scholars (The Unofficial History of the Forest of the Literati) does not live up to its artistic and thematic achievements as it requires more of the readers than other classical novels in the period. The profundity in thoughts and the ambiguity in meaning require close reading, while the density and range of knowledge provide more cultural obstacles. The implicit plot and narration demand the readers to be highly engaged, and Wu Jingzi's ancient-oriented sentiments are sometimes at odds with the mores of the present time. The paper concludes that The …

The Reality Concerns And Creative Construction Of Chinese Contemporary Literary Theory: A Symposium Survey, Dongmei Zhang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

No abstract provided.

What Is The Time Of Contemporary Art?, Rancière Jacques

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Instead of opposing the glorious – or utopian – age of artistic and political modernism to the disenchanted age and the parodic forms of contemporary postmodernism, it seems more fruitful to distinguish between two ways of being contemporary to its own time. What did it mean for art to be contemporary in the age of Tatlin or Vertov? What does it mean for the artists of the beginning of the 21st century? How does each of those two forms of "contemporary art" deal with time and with the relation of time to space? How does that relation between time and …

Mutiple Faces Of "The Other", Yamin Hu, Xiang Xiao

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

"The other" is one of the most important key words in contemporary Western literary criticism. This paper puts the term in context and explores its different uses and connotations in Plato and Hegel's philosophy, phenomenology-existentialism, post-structuralism as well as in postcolonial criticism and feminism. The paper points out that "the other" is a relational concept and exists in two groups of relationships. One is the relation between the One/Same and the Other, and the other is the relation between the Self/Subject and the Other. The latter may be the specific display of the former. "The other" has three closely connected …

On Liu Xizai's Aesthetic Concept Of The Author's Primary Bound, Xingchuan Tao

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Liu Xizai attaches great importance to the relationship between the character of the author and the quality of an artwork, and generally refers the former to the latter in a metaphoric way. He distinguished three levels of artistic value in artworks and equated them to three kinds of author's character. The best character of an author is to keep the primary bound ("yuan fen"), the talented ("ying jie") comes next, and the mean and banal ("bei wei") lies at the bottom. This paper analyzes the characteristics of Liu's concept of "yuan fen" in four aspects. The first is rooted in …

On The Poetics Of Materiality, Jin Zhang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Materiality has always been the frame of reference of literature, and literary concept changes along with the innovations in the relationship between the material and the man. In recent decades, theorists and critics began to interpret the materiality of literary texts in the trialectics of material-sign-spirit, which highlights a critical space of the poetics of materiality. Being regarded as one of the potential trends in 21st century, such a poetics is a fusion of series of contemporary critical inquiries. This paper investigates the contexts of the 20th century literary critical practices, clarifies the successions of semiotic materiality of text, the …

Out Of "The Prison Of The Self": Maurice Blanchot On Death, Literature And "The Other", Lingling Zhu

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Since Descartes' cogito-based subject construction, the subject has operated within the framework of self-identity and the mine-ness of experience. Henceforth, the subject has built a complicated "prison of the self" with means such as understanding, representation and practical activities. In this prison, the "I" can only encounter other individuals or objects through the perception and reason of the "I", which means that the "I" can only encounter with "the self of the 'I'". By analyzing death, literature and the other, Blanchot revealed that there is a dimension of I-less embedded in the self of the "I," and that the subject …

"The Concept Of Ben-Se" In The Horizon Of Chinese Poetic Criticism, Mingfu Pan, Zhaopeng Wang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The concept of "ben-se" (original color) is very important in the theoretical system of Chinese poetics. "Ben-se" may refer to the "professional" status of the author and the orthodox position of poetic works on the one hand, and simplicity of language, naturalness of expressions and genuine affection in the text on the other hand. In the development of poetic criticism from Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty to Qing Dynasty, the concept of "original color" has always shown an underlying self-perfecting dynamics. The theorization of the "original color" concept has shifting focuses along its theorization process from author-centeredness to contents, …

A Hypoplastic Philosophic Fiction: A Reperusal Of Li Ping'sWhen The Sunset Disappears, Dongfeng Tao

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

This paper is a reperusal and a reinterpretation of When the Sunset Disappears, a novel sensational in the 1980s. This novel contains a series of theoretic questions which are still significant nowadays, such as the relationships between reason and emotion, civilization and barbarism, religious forgiveness and secular punishment, etc. As a representative work of a representative intellectual group of that period, this novel is still worthy of attention, for it reflects a pattern the "Zhiqing" (Educated Youth) writers cannot break away from when thinking and writing about the Cultural Revolution: abstracting, philosophizing and moralizing specific social and historical problems. This …

A Study On The Prose Remarks In Edo And Meiji Periods Of Japan, Dongbo Bian

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The writing of the Japanese prose remarks began with reprinting and reediting the Chinese prose remarks, followed by annotations on the Chinese prose remarks. The Japanese editions have not only saved the lost Chinese writings, but their versions and collation also have significant value in themselves. Even though the mid-Edo period editions of the Chinese prose remarks tried to organize in their own system, the influence of the Chinese prose remarks was obvious. After the Meiji Restoration, Kikegawa Masataka's complete edition of Collected Annotations to A Comprehensive Collection of Refined Literary Works was the only collection of annotations to prose …

An Art-Culturological Analysis Of The Appeal For Literary Autonomy Among The Beijing School Writers, Qingmin Zhang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The Beijing-School writers pursued the autonomy of literature and refuse external research of literature. They used native discourse to describe the autonomic characteristics of literature and directed literary research to literature itself. Their explorative analyses on the form, technique, language and other internal factors of literary research reached a philosophical depth and theoretical level that are still inspiring today. Their appeal for literary autonomy was grounded on such factors as poetical tradition, social reality, foreign theory and professional position, and this may prove to be a unique case for scholars to interpret the complex spiritual world of literary subjecthood.

Anthropocosmic Resonance In Post-Mao Chinese Environmental Literature, Visser Robin

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

In this article I examine philosophical ideas in 1980s Chinese environmental literature that, while espousing perspectives on human relations to the natural environment derived from Daoism, animism, and Buddhism primarily convey a syncretic humanist philosophy of Neo-Confucian idealism. I analyze three influential post-Mao literary works that appropriate ancient philosophical thought and praxis to critique unsustainable deforestation during the intensifying neoliberal development characterizing the Deng era. Ah Cheng's 1985 novella, King of Trees is one of the earliest examples of post-Mao ecological consciousness. Xu Gang's 1987 Woodcutter, Wake Up! launched the eco-reportage movement by appealing to the moral center of the …

On The Paradigm Transformation Of Literary Studies: From Literature To Literariness, Hanguang Ma

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The ideas of modern literature from Madame de Stael to Matthew Arnold inherit the form of traditional literature which approaches literature from the perspective of the modes and outcomes of the subject's activities on the basis of the theory of subjectivity.Thus what they revealed through literature studies is not the truth of literature itself but the subject itself i.e. how the subject forms through literary activities. The Russian formalists put forward the concept of literariness which defined the object of literature as literariness of the works.The changing literary study modes makes the discussion on literature studies transfer from the grand …

On The Reflexivity Of The Functional Specialization Of The Literary Theory Discipline System, Yuyun Feng, Liming Zhou

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The Reflexivity of the Specialization of the Literary Theory Discipline is modern topic which marks both historical progress of disenchantment and Reflexivity from over-autonomy to narcissist re-enchantment as well as the fragmentation of literary theory production and the construction metaphysical system. Functional specialization deprives literary theory of its practical, historical and innovation characters and then be in a dilemma. The Ghost of theory haunted everywhere, so the revival of literary theory could not only depend on traditional aesthetic concept, returning back to the classic or holding elite culture. This could neither solve the contemporary cultural problems nor redeem the central …

The Dialogue On The Study Of Ancient Prose Between Qing-Dynasty Shen Deqian And Japanese Scholar Rai Sanyo, Hong Cao

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Qing-Dynasty scholar Shen Deqian compiled A Critical Ｒeader of Eight Prose Masters from Tang-Song Dynasties in 1750, and with its reach into the Tokugawa-period Japan, Japanese scholar Rai Sanyo (1780-1832) added his own commentaries. The dialogue between Shen's selection and Rai's commentaries becomes an example of using Chinese cultural source on the study of ancient prose in East Asian community. Shen' selection presented a positivist way in scholarship and Qing-Dynasty scholars' reflection on Ming-Dynasty's Restoration of the Ancient Prose Movement, while Rai was prompted by Shen's selection to think about the literary development in his country. Rai addressed directly in …

The Essentialist And Anti-Essentialist Features In Gates' Literary Theory, Yanli He

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Gates' literary theory is a hybridity of anti-essentialism and essentialism, which shows in three aspects. First, he maintains a non-essentialist concept of race, to speak for the black people with an identity based on African origin. Second, his key criterion for black literature is the form of text and the author' DNA embedded in the text with unidentified author's racial identity. The form creates formal lines of continuity between the texts which constitute the shared text of blackness. As not all novels have formal connection with other Black texts, Gates has to find their authors' identity to prove their black …

The Theorization Of Rhythm In Modern Chinese Aestheticism, Hongxia Li

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

As one core concept of aestheticism, "art for art's sake" in modern Chinese literature has a distinctive way of manifestation with localized forms, and the theorization of "rhythm" is the most unique one among its specific concepts. Authors and theorists help to define its trajectory of development throughout the process of modern Chinese literature. Lu Xun approached it at the beginning of 20th century from the perspective of "devilish beauty" as a form of the rhythm of life. Lu Xun's conceptualization echoed among the advocator of pure poetry. Literary theorist Qian Gurong's essay "On Rhythm" can be viewed as a …

Curriculum Development And Students’ Learning Outcomes: A Case Study Of Putonghua Presentation Skills, Danping Wang, Xiao Yan Qiu, Man Lut Chau, King Lam, Jacquelin Choy

Practical Social and Industrial Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Live Confucian: The Newsletter Of The Confucius Institute Of Pace University June 2013, Confucius Institute Pace University

Live Confucian

A newsletter of the Confucius Institute, Pace University.

The Confucius Institute at Pace Universi­ty is dedicated to providing Chinese lan­guage and cultural education, resources,and services to meet the needs of people from all backgrounds.

Rethinking Theatrical Images Of The New Woman In China's Republian Era, Li Guo

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

In her article "Rethinking Theatrical Images of the New Woman in China's Republican Era" Li Guo analyses the multivalent representations of the New Woman and posits that they encompass a broad array of blended feminine identities following the introduction of Western literary and cultural trends into Chinese culture. The tensions between ideological discourses about nation, gender, and politics as revealed in the plays of the republican period reveal the many underlying cultural paradigms and the processes in which dramatists Sinicized foreign models of the New Woman to appeal to their domestic audiences. Guo explores how the playwrights' gendered viewpoints contribute …

Introduction To Asian Culture(S) And Globalization, I-Chun Wang, Li Guo

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Marshall McLuhan coined the term "the global village" associating globalized human experiences in an electronic age (4). Although transnational relations existed for many centuries, McLuhan predicted in the 1960s that new technologies not only facilitate the growth of international interconnectedness, cross-border exchanges, as well as trans-cultural phenomena, but also help foster cultural transactions. Referring to the dramatic and unprecedented break between the past and the present, tradition and modernity, Arjun Appadurai argues that media and migration have been two major forces impelling the circulation of world cultures (3). In the phenomenon of globalization, people from every part of the world …

Generations Apart: Cultural Revolution Memory And China's Post-80'S Generation On The Chinese Internet, Vincent R. Capone

Graduate Masters Theses

This thesis examines how the memory of the Cultural Revolution is used on the Chinese internet by China's post-80's generation and the Chinese Communist Party to describe and highlight examples of social instability. These comparisons are representative of the broad historical narrative written by the Party which forms the basis of how China's younger generations learn about and internalize the Cultural Revolution. This study analyzes how the memory of the Cultural Revolution is held by China's post-80's generation as viewed through the lens of the Chinese Internet. Specifically, this research engages with the intended purposes of the post-80's generation for …

"The French Theory" In The United States, Yang Lu

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

As the embodiment of the post-modern discourse in the past half century, "the French Theory", in fact, is nothing but a product of Americanization, reflecting its trace in America. Francois Cusset's The French Theory: How Foucault, Derrida, Deleuze & Co. Transformed the Intellectual Life of the United States, a book worthy of reading, outlines the New World’s trail of "the French Theory." In Francois Cusset's viewpoint, Alan Sokal and Jean Bricmont's Impostures Intellectuelles is a turning point in the reception of "the French Theory" by the American academic circles. As to why the French theory could only be received in …

A Study On Contemporary Literary Theory: Reflecting, Adjusting And Deepening, Daren Lai

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Recently, the change and development of the contemporary literary theory have started a new cycle of historical movement which interweaves the interaction between breakthroughs, inductions and establishments. To respond to the resultant changes and new issues, it is necessary to adjust the theoretical standpoint and approaches. Further construction, innovation and development of the contemporary literary theory pose new requirements in the form of three returns: a) from pursuing cultural studies to reverting on literary studies, b) from interpreting the phenomena to focusing on practical issues, and c) from the production of knowledge to the reconstruction of theory. Under the present …

Linear Narrative ― Did It Ever Exist?: Traditional Narratives Read As Fragmentary Vs. Fractured Post-Colonial Ones Read As Linear, Hajdu Péter

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The ground hypothesis of this paper is that narratives are not per se linear or fractured: linearity and fragmentariness are interpretive achievements. Readers interested in the experience of coherence tend to find linearity in every narrative, while those who like the representation of a fractured human condition will hardly experience linearity anywhere. The hypothesis is tested through four examples. The first one could be regarded as the most obvious example of linear narratives The Three Musketeers. A careful reading of its "Introduction" suggests that this text tends to advertise its fictionality, continuously plays with the focalization, undermines the identity of …

Benevolent Neighborhood Is Beauty: The Meta-Problem Of The Aesthetic Thought In Pre-Qin Confucianism, Haozhe Tan

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The idea that "benevolent neighborhood is beauty" in The Analects highlights the human aspect of Confucian aesthetics, and the theoretical proposition in the idea may be argued to be a meta-problem. It reveals the intrinsic connection between Confucius's aesthetics and his view of benevolence (Ren) and the benevolence-based nature of Confucian aesthetics, while it is the rationale and criteria for aesthetic thinking and judgment in various fields of life, society, art and nature. Confucius's idea of benevolence echoes in Mencius's concept that "enrichment and fulfillment are beauty." The idea that "benevolent neighborhood is beauty" highlights three main characteristics of pre-Qin …

The Production Of Thought And The Knowledge Innovation Of Literary Theory, Xijian Li

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

To investigate the knowledge innovation of contemporary literary theory from the angle of thought production may bring about profound academic implications. The production of thought creates value and meaning and is fundamental in creating knowledge. It also responds to the intrinsic qualities and rules of the literary theory as a discipline of humanities. As literary theory takes on more modern characteristics, the dominant presence and the production of intellectual thoughts in literary theory are being increasingly recognized and are even taken as the reason and aims for knowledge innovation. As a discipline that makes value interpretation and aesthetic judgment on …

A Cultural Inquiry Into The German Enlightenment Tragedy, Yuan Zhang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

In the light of modernity horizon, the German tragic dramas from 1850s to 1930s represented by Schiller, Goethe and Lessing may be argued to have been most deeply influenced by the Enlightenment Movement and become an independent cultural phenomenon of Enlightenment. The German tragic drama embodies the characteristics of German Enlightenment and infuses modernity to the German national culture, and it may well be called Enlightenment Tragedy. German enlightenment tragedy becomes an expression of the modernistic pursuit of German enlightenment culture, and the paper demonstrates the five aspects of the modernity German enlightenment tragedy pursued.

Rationalist Criticism In China's Current Social Transformation And The Neo-Rationalist Spirit In Literary Theory, Nan Gao

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Realistic contexts define the construction of literary criticism, and they function through the practices in reality. The current historical period since 1980s has been characterized by social transformation which shows a general feature of interaction between criticism and construction. This period is in turn divided into four different phases characterized by the critique of rationalism, contingent continuation of rationalism, direction selecting, and neo-rationalist spirit construction, while the neo-rationalist spirit is constructed along all the phases. The neo-rational spirit was proposed and named in the 1990s, and the neo-rationalist spirit in literary theory shows in the four aspects of humanism, modernity, …