Chinese Ancient Literary Theory and the Axial Epoch:The Rudimentary State of Paradigms of General Chinese Literary Theory

The contemporary study in the field of Chinese ancient literary theory requires the combination of special and general theories of literary theory,namely combining reflections through the Augean stables in research paradigms of literary theory in narrow sense as well as replacement of such a theory by literary theory in broad sense( bonding Literature,History and Philosophy together). The essence of general Chinese literary theory derives from the Axial Epoch during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period and has shaping the history of Chinese literary theory history profoundly. The essay first demonstrates the establishment of the general Chinese ancient writings in the macroscopic view,indicating the perforation of the system of the general Chinese ancient writings and the metaphysics of otology leads to the big difference between Chinese and Western literary theory. Then through cultural and philosophic explanations of some vital categories of Tao,Xu Qi,Xing Gan in literary theory to illustrate three points: 1) The reflections to Tao in works pay attention to acquire new incentives and remove adverse disadvantages from the old rather than only search for the root. 2) The world outlook of Xu Qi has lyric and expressional influence in Chinese literature and literary theory on underline of function and ignorance of entity. 3) The blending relation between object and mind of Confucius results from Xing Gan. Meanwhile,based on explanation of masterpiece,the Axial Epoch also brings about the Chinese paradigm which not only values the expansion of culture stemming from historical texts,but also doing the switch and creation of value. Faced with the problem of quoting out of context in the field of poetry,the followers of Confucius create the prone poetic hermeneutic which highlights the historical contents,values of the principle,direct intuitions and full experiences. It indeed influences the prosperity and persistence of Chinese literary theory and culture. At last,the general Chinese ancient writings also create the distinguishing method of image thinking comparing to Western conceptual thinking,which characterized in empirical construct,intuitional fluidity,integral ambiguity and so forth.