Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.2, 2025 

Zong Baihua’s Study of Goethe and German Cultural Philosophy

(Abstract)

Song Ming

Zong Baihua’s study of Goethe reflects the shift in German philosophy from positivism to cultural philosophy. He emphasizes the “situational relationship” in Goethe’s work, evolving his theory from a static “theory of situation” to a dynamic one, and developing from a “non-relational situational relationship” to an “idealistic situational relationship.” This process was formed by his continuous choices among theoretical achievements of various German scholars. Thinkers like Albert Bielschowsky, Friedrich Gundolf, and Ernst Cassirer all served as key theoretical sources for Zong Baihua’s Goethe studies. His research not only touches upon Goethe’s works but also connects to the theoretical foundations of the yijing (artistic conception) theory in modern Chinese aesthetics.