Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.3, 2025

Two Epistemological Research Paths of Chinese and Foreign Literary Theory Exchange

(Abstract)

Li Sanda

If literary theory is understood as a form of knowledge about literature, then the interaction between Chinese and foreign literary theories can be explored from two perspectives. The first is examination of the paradigm shift in modern Chinese literary theory. The theory has undergone two phases: the paradigm establishment period from the early 20th century until the 1980s, and the transformation period since the 1990s. The second is the investigation of conventional literary knowledge, which encompasses three key aspects: literary concepts, organizational models of literary knowledge, and literary research terminology.