DISCOVERY AND REPRESENTATION OF NATURAL HUMANITY——Comparison between Li Zhi’s Theory of Preserving Childlike Innocence and European Humanism

In this article,the author thinks that minority culture and classics of literary theory and criticism make an important contribution to both China and world’s culture and literary theory and criticism.Petrarch started European enlightenment in modern times,being regarded as father of humanism.The thinker of Hui nationality in Ming Dynasty and literary theory reviewer,Li Zhi initiated the of Preserving Innocence,which is first calling of Chinese modern philosophy,aesthetics and literature.He may be called father of enlightenment in China.Humanism and the of Preserving Innocence constructed theory of natural humanity in philosophy.They took it as weapon to criticize Catholic theology and of Song and Ming Dynasties — asceticism,obscurantism and absolutism in theology.The literary thoughts of Humanism and the of Preserving Innocence are both stretch of their philosophy,which took theory of natural humanity as their basis and essential connotation.They advocated taking persons after arousal as leading characters of literary works,advocated searching for poems from citizens and advocated authors should have and celebrate Humanism or Childlike Innocence.European humanist,under name of going back to ancient Greece,created new culture and new literature of capitalist class.Li Zhi praised highly and esteemed Pre-Qin Confucianism inaugurated by Confucius and Mencius and criticized Neo-Confucianism violently.His remarks mainly directed at Confucianism deified as unchanged doctrine by Daoists.European humanist with belief to theory of simulation,they more highlighted decisive role of social life to authors’ creations and emphasized reflecting functions of literature.Li Zhi with belief to theory of expressing wills and endowed with feeling,he more highlighted principal role,emphasized its expressive functions and formed more systematical expressive view of natural humanity.The author thinks that Li Zhi’s Theory of Preserving Innocence had nothing to do with European humanist,but its literary core communicated with humanist;it incarnated tradition and characteristic of Chinese culture and literary theory and criticism.