The Soul’s Turn From Classicality To Reality:Reading Newspaper And Being Modernity (1894-1911)

Depending on the method of history reading and diaries, this dissertation attempted to display how newspaper contributed Chinese traditional literati into modern intelligentsia from1894to1911under the framework of social world.The article started from dawn of modern newspapers entrying into literati reading world extensively and found that there was a watershed in1894when the mind emerging in the classic literature turned into focusing on the reality.Unlike western newspapers sprung in the process of urbanization, Shanghai newspapers were stepping into literati reading world by the Sino-Japanese war. Difference in social context and people spirit normally decided the apperance of Chinese newspaper. Requirement of "rich and powerful","enlightened","revolution" and the cultural-intellectualistic approach contributed newspaper as the important role in the task of saving China. For example, ShiWuBao was regarding as nurturing talent because of its "current and practical" which opposited to the Confucian classics.Different types of readers told sight difference in the practice of reading. Generally, the uppers prefered discussion and were easily reflecting reality by modern thought. Local scholars tended to read news and commentary rather than modern thought. Young students like radical context instinctively and thus they generally appreciated the revolutional newspapers.Overall, newspapers reconstructed people social world by liberated them form predecessors and fellow-men world. The updating of social world was the dynamic of modernization, namely focusing on reality, discussing, and reconsidering social legitimacy. As a new type of culture, in a word, newspaper had shaped a modern realism in everyday life which pursuing now and caring for the nation.