근대 초기 중국의 ‘文學’ 개념 형성과정에 대한 고찰 - 章太炎의 ‘文’論과의 대비를 통해

Abstract

This study examines the Translations of 'literature', a '文学' concept in the process of being born in China and it investigates the conceptual history of modern China. The study explains how the concept was imported from overseas and it describes the process of the formation of the modern concept. A traditional concept of 'literature' had existed in China know as '文' or '文学'.. Although they did not exactly conform to 'literature', the '文' '文学' terms had been used as a means for artistic writing in China. Especially the '文' concept was a very important idea having ethical implications in addition to having aesthetic sense among East Asian intellectuals. An attempt to try to restore the traditional meaning of the '文' concept in the course of '文学' as Translations of 'Literature' was imported to Japan via China.. Through examining how '文' and 'literature' was establish in China, this study tries to reveal the process of how the concept of 'literature' was formed in early modern China.