The New Quality Of The Late Ming Literature

The Eastward Transmission of Western Sciences in the late Ming occupies a significant position in both Chinese and world’s history of culture development.In the late Ming,taking missionary writings as the main medium,the East and the West have conducted the comparably equal communication in the level of spirit and culture for the first time.Acceptances and disseminations of documents written and translated by missionaries,which are striking features of the cultural communication in that period.This thesis is intended to focus on the relationship between missionary writings and the late Ming literature,as well as to take Chinese documents written and translated by missionaries,related literary works from Chinese literati,and social intercourses between missionaries and Chinese literati as research objects.In addition,this thesis will explore the relationship between missionary writings and the late Ming literature,as well as analyze the peculiarities of new qualities in the late Ming literature which comes from missionary writings.Such exploration and analysis are based on the following three aspects:the influences from missionary writings,the intertextuality between missionary writings and the late Ming literature,and the way where missionary writings lead Chinese literature to world literature.In term of methodology,this thesis is based on "Interaction and Communication Framework",proposed by Erik Zurcher and Nicolas Standaert,which means in order to research missionary writings and its echo under Chinese literati writings,the equal communications and intercourses between the East and the West,as well as their changing inner motivations and values,are considered the foundation.Due to the differences in positions and traditions,when disseminating among Chinese literati,missionary writings show different views on the same question.Such phenomenon is not only from the way of communications and acceptances,but also caused by the re-producing and re-interpreting of information.Under such communications and intercourses,on one thing,we could observe the way where missionary writings interact with Chinese traditional literature and then has an influence on the opening of new Chinese literary traditions;on another,communications and intercourses between the East and the West not only make the late Ming literati raise the world-consciousness,but also make the late Ming literature enter world literature.The thesis is composed of five parts.The introduction articulates the reason of selecting this topic,teases out research status of missionary writings in the Late Ming,and summarizes the main views and disadvantages of predecessors.In the end,states the perspective which is used to analyze the relationship between missionary writings and the Late Ming literature,as well as the meaning of this thesis.The first chapter analyzes "Catering-Confucianism",which is the writing strategy used by missionary."Catering-Confucianism" means the inter-translation between Confucian classics and Christian doctrine and humanistic spirits,in order to seek for fusion.Its way is to interpret Western concepts by Confucian vocabulary.However,this thesis argues that "Catering-Confucianism" is a method,while the aim is the rebellion of "Catering-Confucianism",wearing mask of "Confucianism" and transmitting quite different values against Confucianism.This strategy of writing influences the late Ming literature.It is an important quality of two shifts in the late Ming Literature.One shift is to pursue the individual independence in aesthetic category,while another one is to pursue the practical learning in Humanistic academic research.The second chapter starts with literary theories,literary comments and literary material,teases out the new changes in these three aspects in the late Ming,and explores the relationship with missionary writings in the late Ming.This thesis argues that owing to the influence of missionary writings,there are new qualities appearing in the contents of the late Ming literature.The third chapter begins with the relationship between the late Ming literature and world literature,discusses the amalgamations among concepts of literature both in the East and in the West,explores the embryonic form of world-consciousness in the late Ming,and investigates the significance of the late Ming literature to world literature This thesis holds the view that all of them have relationship with missionary writings.This thesis points out that when the missionary conducts missionary writings,he applies indigenous concepts and forms,furthermore,does missionary work with the help of indigenous cognitive structure.During this process,in term of literature,the missionary uses and remolds Chinese old traditions,forms the burgeon of new traditions,and then poses an impact on Chinese literature.Though there is no absolute shock against Chinese traditional literature,its influence makes Chinese literature more complexed,and appear new qualities.Not only is it the first equal and deep communication between Chinese literature and Western literature,but also it has a significant value on world literature and East-Western literary comparative research.