The Exploration Of Chen Yin-que’s Literary Research Methods

With Chen Yin-que’s literary research methods as the study object, this dissertation intends to sort out Chen Yin-que’s specific practice in literary research and his discussion on related literary theories; outline his outstanding literary research methods and define them; trace back these literary research methods’ origin both in Chinese traditional academic culture and the Western ideology; talk about Chen Yin-que’s integration of Chinese and Western methods into his own unique research model and then provide reference for modern literary research in the methodological level.The dissertation tries to achieve three purposes:firstly, in the aspect of method, it will sum up Chen Yin-que’s common practice through his individual study cases, and refine a set of his unique research methods from his long-term practice; secondly, in the practical level, it will comb the ways in which Chen Yin-que understood and appreciated the two cultures in his experience of studying abroad, and explore his ability of digesting and using knowledge and then generating new ways of thinking and practicing; thirdly, in the theoretical level, it will clarify the relationship between his academic system and his literary research methods of mixing Chinese and Western cultures, and prove his role as exemplarity and inspiration on guiding ideology and academic methods in Chinese Literature of the21st century.The dissertation consists of six parts. The main ideas of each part are as follows.The introduction part sorts out and analyzes the overall research on Chen Yin-que, the currently special research on his literary studies, and both the achievements and shortcomings of the present study. Then the thesis determines Chen Yin-que’s literary research methods as the study object, focusing on his Chinese and Western academic origins, how he combined Western learning with Chinese traditional methods and how he modernized the latter.The first chapter aims to grasp the origin of Chen Yin-que’s academic thoughts and methods. Yi-Ning Chen’s family learning, traditional cultural education at his early age, and years of study in Western countries influenced his academic ideas and methods a lot. The features of his research on history and literature were decided by his stick to Chinese-culture-based academic stance, his consciousness of culture propping life and his sense of cultural studies manifested in his academic study. The awareness of exploring Chinese culture’s way divided his scholarship life into three stages, corresponding to three different literary research methods.Chapter2explores the academic origins, theoretical concepts, research practice, and salient features of Chen Yin-que’s literary research method of "Classics Comparison". In the context of cultural exchanging, Chen Yin-que’s literary research method of "Classics Comparison" absorbed the historiography of Song Dynasty, Buddhism and other traditional academic essence. It also borrowed some western theories and methods, like Western Oriental Studies and French School of Comparative Literature. With the idea of historical evolution and the comparison and contrast between systems, he based his study on the cultural language and achieved a lot on the study of the influence of Buddhism on Chinese literature and its rheological, the comparison among poets of Tang Dynasty and their styles, and the parallel comparison of Chinese and foreign literature and theories.The third chapter discusses the academic background, practical basis, and practical cases of Chen Yin-que’s literary research method of "Shi Shi Hu Zheng". He inherited the traditional method of "Shi Shi Hu Zheng" of the ancient era when poetry and history were regarded the same, and modernized it by absorbing and transforming theories and methods of German historicism which was represented by Ranke School. In different cultures, Chinese classical poetry was absolutely different from Western poetry, which was the practical basis for Chen Yin-que’s using the method of "Shi Shi Hu Zheng". In his earlier "Shi Shi Hu Zheng" studies, he paid more attention to the overall cultural study of literature, and revealed the relation between literary truth and historical truth.The fourth chapter elaborates accurate meaning of Chen Yin-que’s literary research method of "Empathy of Understanding", traces its tradition back to some western factors, and discusses its characteristics and the actual use. His method of "Empathy of Understanding" drew ideas and methods from Western Romantic Historiography and Chinese poetic tradition of spiritualized literary criticism,"Knowing Intention from the Meaning", etc. His later years’"Soul and History" research synchronized the development of psychological historiography in "New History" thought, which further deepened his method of "Shi Shi Hu Zheng". His method of "Empathy of Understanding" combined the three elements of "time, place and person", based on the analysis of "ancient canon" and "modern canon", and used subtle psychological analysis to reach "Empathy" with the ancients.The conclusion part summarizes the benefits of the three literary research methods—"Classics Comparison","Shi Shi Hu Zheng", and "Knowing Then Feeling the Same"—in overcoming the delimma in literary research and criticism today, and points out the referencing value of academic thinking in these methods for contemporary research on classical literature and literary history. It is highlighted that combing, researching and referencing Chen Yin-que’s achievements in the field of literary studies is an important poetic subject of the21st century.