Chinese Literary Thoughts After the Era of Class ical Learning:——A Re-understanding on Wang Guo-wei’s Literary Studies

The Confucian Classical Learning playe d a dominant role in the traditional Chinese literary theory, which constructed the main theoretical resources, the basic way of thinking and the most common wa y of expression. However, the control of Classical Learning to literary thoughts came to its end in the 20th century. At the turning point, Wang Guo-wei’s lite rary studies were very noticeable, especially the three famous works, which sepa rately concentrating on novel, ci(词)and traditional opera, destructed the logic of Classical Learning, introduced the western Aesthetics to Chinese liter ary critique, and attempted the new model of literary study. From then on, Chine se literary thoughts were obviously endowed with modern color. So, Wang’s endea vor greatly promoted Chinese literary theory to depart from Classical Learning a nd become a modern discipline.