JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY (HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES)

浙江大学学报(人文社会科学版)


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	Latest Printed Issue
	2025, Vol.55 Num.1
	Online: 2025-02-12

	Article

Article

	5	Song Huasheng, Cao Tingting, Zhou Jianjun

		Seeking Certainty in Uncertainty: Could Enterprises’ Intelligent Transformation Help to Reduce the Perception of Trade Policy Uncertainty? ^Hot!
		Currently, Chinese firms face the primary challenge of trade policy uncertainty (TPU) as a significant external risk. The occurrence of events such as the US-China trade war and the Russia-Ukraine conflict has instigated anti-globalization sentiments, leading to increased trade barriers and protectionist measures. This intricate international economic landscape severely impacts the operational landscape of Chinese firms. The perception of TPU refers to the extent to which a firm feels the impact of TPU. Increased TPU generally affects firm decision-making by disrupting corporate expectations, thereby negatively impacting corporate operations. The emergence of artificial intelligence has not only spearheaded a new wave of technological revolution but also provided enterprises with new strategic opportunities to address TPU. Through intelligent operations and big data predictions, enterprises can achieve intelligent transformation, which not only reduces costs but also enhances the efficiency of various stages in the operational process, thereby improving the transparency and certainty of the business environment.Therefore, the pivotal research question emerges: How can firms achieve intelligent transformation to approach certainty amid an environment of uncertainty? Utilizing the annual reports of public listed firms from 2012 to 2020, this study employs textual analysis and machine learning tools to quantify the perception of TPU and the degree of intelligent transformation, both of which withstand rigorous effectiveness tests. Subsequently, the study empirically tests the impact of company intelligent transformation on the companies’ perception of TPU and unravels its underlying mechanisms. Empirical evidence indicates that intelligent transformation of firms can significantly reduce the perceived TPU, which has been consistently upheld through various robustness checks. To mitigate potential endogeneity concerns, the study adopts instrumental variable two-stage least-squares regression estimator and leverages exogenous policy shocks as quasi-natural experiments, ensuring that the identified relationship can be credibly interpreted as causal. The mechanism analysis further elucidates that intelligent transformation achieves this reduction by cost-saving effects, such as diminishing adjustment cost and information asymmetry, and by efficiency enhancement effect, including improving efficiency of organizational collaboration, management decision, production and marketing. Heterogeneity analysis suggests that the effect of intelligence transformation on the perception of TPU is more pronounced for non-state-owned companies, those firms in technology-intensive industries, as well as firms situated in the eastern and southern regions of China. Extensive analysis further underscore that intelligent transformation can effectively enhance the positive affective tendencies of management, which is important for improving the competitive advantage of firms and facilitating market expansion. Furthermore, the effect of intelligent transformation on the perception of TPU is more prominent for firms with higher risk transfer ability.The main contributions of this study are as follows first, this study refines the indicators for the perception of TPU and the degree of intelligent transformation at the firm level, thereby addressing the existing measurement inadequacies; second, it enriches the understanding of the effects of company intelligent transformation from the perspective of TPU. Furthermore, we also expand the analysis framework of the influencing factors and countermeasures of the perception of TPU, providing valuable insights for firms in managing the risks associated with TPU; third, in practical terms, the research assists firms in reformulate strategies for intelligent transformation to achieve “cost reduction and efficiency improvement”, thereby helping the firms to better cope with the uncertainties of trade policy and mitigate the negative impacts. On macro level, the study elucidates the essential role of intelligent transformation, enabling China to draw on its preeminent position in the field of artificial intelligence, facilitating the smooth transition of foreign trade dynamics, achieving strategic goals for stable foreign trade, and propelling high-quality development in the international trade.
		2025 Vol. 55 (1): 5-25 [Abstract] ( 14 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 926KB] ( 54 )

	26	Zhang Chunyuan, Gu Guoda, Zhang Hongsheng

		Digital Transformation and Export Product Quality of Chinese Multi-product Exporters ^Hot!
		With the continuous rise of China’s labor costs and the integration of other developing countries into the lower tiers of the global production network, China’s traditional comparative advantages in international trade are gradually diminishing. The rapid development of emerging technologies, represented by information technology and artificial intelligence, has deeply integrated with domestic economic and social development. Digital empowerment has ignited a new wave of industrial transformation, accelerating the pace of digitalization across various sectors and providing an opportunity to cultivate competitive advantages in foreign trade. Given the prevalence of multi-product export enterprises in China and the significant proportion of core product trade volume, an important issue to consider is how the digital transformation will affect the quality of export products of Chinese multi-product exporters.The existing research on the impact of digital transformation on the quality of export products has certain limitations. Specifically, the literature focuses on the aggregate enterprise level, but does not involve the research at the product level. However, research based on the assumption of single-product enterprises cannot accurately describe the multi-product export phenomenon common in Chinese export enterprises, nor can it deeply reveal the resource allocation and performance adjustment behavior within multi-product exporters. In this context, from the perspective of export product quality of multi-product enterprises, this paper explores the reliable pathways for the enterprise digital transformation to enhance the export competitive advantage of Chinese multi-product enterprises.This paper conducts an empirical study by using the matched data from China Customs database and CSMAR database for the period 2006 to 2015. The results indicate that digital transformation can significantly facilitate the upgrading of the overall export products quality of multi-product exporters, but the promotion effect varies across products of different rankings. To be specific, the closer a product is to the core competitiveness, the stronger the effect of digital transformation is on the quality improvement. Mechanism test results demonstrate that, on the one hand, the digital transformation can optimize resource allocation within multi-product enterprises, driving the concentration of resources towards relatively core products and promoting the improvement of product quality across different rankings. On the other hand, the digital transformation helps to reduce the marginal cost of products of multi-product enterprises and improve production efficiency, thereby promoting the upgrading of export product quality, and having a particularly positive impact on the quality improvement of core products.The marginal contribution of this paper can be summarized as follows first, this paper is the first to explores the impact of digital transformation on the quality of export products from the perspective of multi-product export enterprises. It captures the uneven impact of digital transformation on the export quality of core and non-core products in the multi-product export enterprises, thereby expanding the research scope of the digital economy and product quality;second, this paper enriches the research on internal resource adjustment of micro-enterprises by detailing internal adjustment between different products, revealing the impact of digital transformation on internal resource allocation of multi-product export enterprises, and adding a new dimension to studies on international trade and industrial organization; third, from the perspective of the marginal cost, this paper analyzes the differentiated impact of digital transformation on the production efficiency of different ranked products within an enterprise. It highlights that the increase in marginal cost is a significant factor limiting the expansion of product lines in multi-product enterprises, providing a new approach to investigate the adjustment of product performance within the enterprise.
		2025 Vol. 55 (1): 26-45 [Abstract] ( 11 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 1100KB] ( 39 )

	46	Liu Yong, Xiang Nan, Zhou Shaodong

		Digital Platforms from the Perspective of Marx’s Industrial Capital Theory: Dual Capital Functions and the Shrinkage of the Real Economy ^Hot!
		The development of human society has entered the digital age, and the digital economy is reshaping the social production mode with unprecedented and powerful momentum. In this context, digital platforms, as an important component of the digital economy and an important carrier for the proliferation of digital capital, so the capital functions are worth paying attention to. From the perspective of Marx’s industrial capital theory, a comprehensive analysis of the dual functional forms of digital platforms can be conducted, further examining the dilemmas caused by labor displacement and shrinking profits in the real economy. This may provide a new perspective for promoting the integrated development of the digital economy and the real economy.In his study of the logic of capital, Marx focused on the mode of capital circulation, including: comprehensively expounded the theory of industrial capital, in the overall process of capital circulation, the form of capital value will present three forms: monetary capital, productive capital, and commodity capital. which are successively followed in time and coexist with each other in space to ensure the continuity of the circulation. A deep analysis of the evolution of commercial capital reveals that , in the process of commodity circulation, driven by the need for the realization of capitalist surplus value , commodity capital, which originally played a leading role, has transformed into a subordinate force. In the circulation domain, it has evolved into independent commercial capital engaged in the realization and division of surplus value. In the current era, digital platforms also exhibit a functional duality similar to that of industrial capital and commercial capital.Firstly, in terms of industrial capital function, digital platforms fulfill their monetary capital function by hiring technical personnel and seeking independent contractors, by obtaining and processing data elements, producing digital goods to fulfill its productive capital function. These platforms also practice the commodity capital function by promoting the products or services on the platform at low prices or providing free promotions. The cycle repeats itself to keep the digital platform running.Secondly, in terms of commercial capital function, digital platforms utilize computing power and algorithm to timely capture market supply and demand information, thereby improving the speed of commodity circulation and obtaining revenue. Moreover, due to the “dumbbell-shaped” structure of the digital platforms in the proportion of industrial capital function in the early stage of operation model under the influence of strong monetization advantages in the middle and late stages of operation, which will lead to the strengthening of the proportion of commercial capital functions until it obtains a dominant position.The dual capital function of digital platforms has a variety of impacts on the real economy. The main manifestations are: promoting the digital transformation of means of production and the gig transformation of producers in the production mode of the real economy through the function of industrial capital, so as to improve labor productivity, reduce labor costs, and create a large number of relatively surplus population. Intensifying the dependence of the real economy through the function of commercial capital to obtain distribution discourse power, to continuously divide the profits of the real economy while increasing the total amount of social surplus value, leading to the shrinkage of the real economy.Based on China’s practice, it is necessary to start from the dual functions of digital capital, strengthen the guidance and regulation of the drawbacks of digital platform capital, and mobilize and promote the benefits of digital platform elements; accelerate the exploration of platform-entity integration points from the inside, and improve the benefit distribution model from the outside, etc., so as to seek breakthroughs in multiple aspects.
		2025 Vol. 55 (1): 46-60 [Abstract] ( 26 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 1374KB] ( 52 )

	61	Peng Shuangzhen

		The Transformation of the Subject of Dialectics and the Reflection on the Principle of Modernity ^Hot!
		Dialectical theory and the critique of modernity are two significant topics in the modern philosophical research. From the perspective of theoretical thinking and the evolution of social history, both are closely intertwined through the key concept of subjectivity. On the one hand, the freedom of subjectivity constitutes the fundamental principle of modern social life. While this principle of modernity highlights individual freedom, it also entails the predicament of subjectivism and the risks of anomie. On the other hand, similar to the subjectivist predicament of modernity, dialectics also faces the theoretical risk of subjective arbitrariness, as evidenced in its evolution from the dialogue to sophistry and from the truth to illusion. Therefore, overcoming the “negative subjectivity” becomes a shared theme in the development of dialectical theory and the critique of modernity.Focusing on the issue of overcoming “negative subjectivity”, the transformation of the subject in dialectics and the reflection on the principles of modernity present a historical trajectory of thought that progresses from Hegel to Marx and Gadamer. Hegel’s pathway of entity as subject overcame the subjective interpretation of dialectics within the framework of metaphysics, establishing the principle of subject as entity, which provides theoretical insights for reflecting on the notion of subjective freedom in the civil society. Based on this foundation, Marx and Gadamer further reconstructed the subject in dialectics through material life relations and effective historical relations respectively. They achieved a praxis turn and a hermeneutic turn in the discourse on the subject within dialectics. From the dimensions of life practice and linguistic interpretation, they established the interactive subjectivity of dialectics, thereby engaging in the reflection and reconstruction of the principles of modernity.The interactive subjectivity dimension of dialectics is reflected in three aspects The dialectical structure, value concepts, and practical principles implied in the interactive subjectivity dimension of dialectics lay the foundation for reflecting on and reconstructing the modern principle of subjective freedom. They offer theoretical guidance for modern individuals to overcome the predicament of self-centeredness, move toward modern public life, and promote human freedom and social development. Within the foundational theoretical research of modern philosophy, systematically exploring and deeply understanding the historical transformation of dialectical subject not only provide a theoretical entry point for reflecting on the principles of modernity but also facilitate the deeper development of dialectical theory research. The interactive subjectivity dimension of dialectics is reflected in three aspects The dialectical structure, value concepts, and practical principles implied in the interactive subjectivity dimension of dialectics lay the foundation for reflecting on and reconstructing the modern principle of subjective freedom. They offer theoretical guidance for modern individuals to overcome the predicament of self-centeredness, move toward modern public life, and promote human freedom and social development. Within the foundational theoretical research of modern philosophy, systematically exploring and deeply understanding the historical transformation of dialectical subject not only provide a theoretical entry point for reflecting on the principles of modernity but also facilitate the deeper development of dialectical theory research.
		2025 Vol. 55 (1): 61-73 [Abstract] ( 9 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 858KB] ( 25 )

	74	He Wensheng, Shen Shan

		The Key Influencing Factors and Mechanisms of the Application of Local Government Budget Performance Evaluation Results: Based on the Analysis Framework of Information Ecology Theory ^Hot!
		The creation of a closed-loop in budget performance management, the optimization of budget allocation decisions, and the enhancement of government governance efficiency are key results achieved through the application of budget performance evaluation results. In response to the specific requirements set forth by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council to “strengthen the application of performance evaluation results”, institutional construction and innovative methods for the application of budget performance evaluation results are actively pursued by local governments. Nevertheless, the extent to which local government budget performance evaluation results are applied remains quite limited in terms of both breadth and depth, and research on the factors influencing the application of these results is also characterized by fragmentation and piecemeal efforts. Therefore, an exploration into the key factors and their influencing mechanism regarding the application of local government budget performance evaluation results is of considerable theoretical and practical significance.Based on the information ecology theory, a model of key influencing factors for the application of budget performance evaluation results has been constructed in this paper, which includes institutional pressure, transformational leadership, and result credibility, covering three levels: external environment, organizational characteristics, and result traits. The model includes institutional pressure, transformational leadership, and result reliability. The study, which focuses on county-level governments, utilizes structural equation model to investigate the impact of various factors on the application of local government budget performance evaluation results. It has been found that: (1) Institutional pressure, transformational leadership, and result reliability all exert a positively direct impact on the application of local government budget performance evaluation results. Institutional pressure is identified as the most direct and powerful driver of the application of local government budget performance evaluation results. A high level of multiple institutional pressures can effectively reduce deviations in government implementation, encouraging local governments to apply budget performance evaluation results in a more rational manner. (2) Institutional pressure indirectly influences the application of local government budget performance evaluation results through transformational leadership and result reliability, presenting diversified impact pathways and varying degrees of effects. This also indicates that transformational leadership and result reliability are key channels for deepening the application of budget performance evaluation results. It is recommended that the application process of budget performance evaluation results in local governments in China be accelerated by enhancing the institutional pressure-driven mechanism, optimizing organizational leadership styles, and strengthening performance evaluation capabilities.The innovations presented in this paper are as follows first, the use of information ecology theory is employed to analyze how various factors and their interactions affect the application of budget performance evaluation results, thereby enriching the theoretical explanations pertinent to budget performance management and strengthening the theoretical support for public sector budget performance management; second, empirical research methods are utilized to uncover the formation process and underlying reasons for the application of budget performance evaluation results by county-level governments in China, with specific approaches proposed for the continuous enhancement of the application of these results. This extends the application scenarios of budget performance management within the Chinese context and provides decision-making references for government departments to solve the application dilemma of budget performance evaluation results.
		2025 Vol. 55 (1): 74-89 [Abstract] ( 13 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 1369KB] ( 34 )

	90	Wei Xiaona

		How to Promote a Trial-centered Approach Through Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law ^Hot!
		The Criminal Procedure Law is about to undergo a new round of amendments. Although the specific amendments have not yet been determined, there is a consensus on advancing reforms of the trial-centeredness through legislative amendments. As for how to promote a trial-centered approach through legislative amendments, adhering to the principle of seeking the greatest common denominator and referencing Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a feasible practical solution is to “introduce two principles and establish two rights”.Introduce two principles A widely criticized issue in practice is the improper division of cases for trial by courts. While separate trials are not an intolerable error in theory, the fundamental reason for intense dissatisfaction among the legal profession arises from the fact that the defendant's right to confrontation is not effectively safeguarded. Another major challenge in advancing a trial-centralism in practice is the use of technical investigation evidence. Allowing for out-of-court examination of technical investigation evidence essentially represents a concession to protect investigative interests at the expense of in-court investigation and cross-examination principles. However, such concessions cannot be unlimited, they must ensure the protection of the defendant’s right to confrontation as a baseline. Introduce two principles A widely criticized issue in practice is the improper division of cases for trial by courts. While separate trials are not an intolerable error in theory, the fundamental reason for intense dissatisfaction among the legal profession arises from the fact that the defendant's right to confrontation is not effectively safeguarded. Another major challenge in advancing a trial-centralism in practice is the use of technical investigation evidence. Allowing for out-of-court examination of technical investigation evidence essentially represents a concession to protect investigative interests at the expense of in-court investigation and cross-examination principles. However, such concessions cannot be unlimited, they must ensure the protection of the defendant’s right to confrontation as a baseline. Introduce two principles A widely criticized issue in practice is the improper division of cases for trial by courts. While separate trials are not an intolerable error in theory, the fundamental reason for intense dissatisfaction among the legal profession arises from the fact that the defendant's right to confrontation is not effectively safeguarded. Another major challenge in advancing a trial-centralism in practice is the use of technical investigation evidence. Allowing for out-of-court examination of technical investigation evidence essentially represents a concession to protect investigative interests at the expense of in-court investigation and cross-examination principles. However, such concessions cannot be unlimited, they must ensure the protection of the defendant’s right to confrontation as a baseline.
		2025 Vol. 55 (1): 90-102 [Abstract] ( 8 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 748KB] ( 25 )

	103	Han Xiaojing, Deng Fulu

		A Case Study of Chinese Characters Research and Large-scale Dictionary Compilation ^Hot!
		From the end of the 20th century, the research of characters of Early Mandarin has made great progress. Large-scale dictionary compilation most reflects the application value of characters of Early Mandarin. Taking the Hanyu Da Zidian (Zidian) as an example, the significance of Early Mandarin character research can be fully explained from six aspects, i.e., selection of characters, formal fixation, phonetic transcription, definitions of words, interpretations of the inter-character relationship, and verification.The selection of characters refers to which characters can be listed as head entries. Large dictionaries generally expand the scope of character collection on the basis of previous dictionaries, and then supplement items that were not collected in the previous dictionaries by drawing from surviving literature and unearthed texts. All characters with clear pronunciation and meaning that appear in the literature should generally be included. Moreover, the national normative documents regarding language and characters also serve as a reference for the collection of characters in large-scale dictionaries. As character research of Early Mandarin continues to develop, we have discovered that many variant colloquial characters with clear meanings and pronunciations in ancient literature have not been included in the Zidian. However, some head entries that do not conform to the standard principles and are created by the abuse of radicals and analogy have been included. These should be removed.Formal fixation is to establish a standard glyph for each group of variant characters. The glyphs and normative principles in the The General Standard Chinese Characters Table Printing in Ancient Books (Characters Table) released in 2021 are also guiding for the establishment of a normative glyph for large dictionaries in the future. There are far more characters in large-scale dictionaries than the Characters Table, those unincluded characters can be analogized according to the glyphs and normative principles of the Characters Table. At the same time, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the generation sequence and popularity of each glyph.Phonetic transcription is also an important task for lexicographers. The Zidian still has some problems in terms of phonetics. For example, there are some difficult words that are not annotated. Errors are also produced in transmission and compilation. Character research of Early Mandarin helps to solve these problems.Definition is the most important part of dictionary compilation. With the vigorous development of Early Mandarin character research and the expansion of the scope of research literature, many difficult characters without definitions in the Zidian have been satisfactorily explained. Some difficult meanings of many characters also have been convincingly verified, and some new words and meanings have been discovered. These results are of great reference value for improving the compilation quality of large dictionary.It is an extremely challenging task to sort out the inter-character relationship in the compilation of dictionaries. There are four kinds of relationships between Chinese characters: variant forms, derived forms, homographs and borrowed forms. However, these relations are often not simple one-to-one correspondences between characters, each corresponding to different character relationships s. They are all important tasks of Early Mandarin character research to associate variant characters, distinguish homographs, reveal borrowed forms, and explore the origins of derived characters. In recent years, the achievements are remarkable in those fields, which is helpful to continuously improve the compilation quality of large-scale dictionaries.Evidence includes documentary evidence and example evidence. An ideal dictionary should provide the earliest documentation for each character and find the most appropriate example for each meaning, including the earliest and latest cases. However, due to the lack of documentation, this is not easy. Taking the Zidian as an example, there are still many characters that lack documentary evidence or the documentary evidence is too late; many meanings lack examples or the examples are too late, and even some examples are inaccurate. The large amount of documentary evidence and examples unearthed by character research of Early Mandarin can make up for the deficiencies of the existing large dictionaries.It is an important direction for Early Mandarin character research to solve all kinds of problems in the existing large dictionaries.
		2025 Vol. 55 (1): 103-121 [Abstract] ( 10 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 5743KB] ( 30 )

	122	Gong Jushan

		Bakhtin’s Systematic Study on Reader Acceptance of Poetics ^Hot!
		Compared with the theories of social object, writer subjectivity, and work ontology, the academic research on Bakhtin’s reader acceptance poetics is significantly lagging behind，which is not conducive to our comprehensive understanding of the overall image of Bakhtin’s poetics construction, and naturally it does not contribute to the modern transformation of the discourse system of contemporary literary theory with Chinese characteristics.From a macroscopic perspective, Bakhtin’s reader acceptance poetic system mainly includes three aspects: the essentialism of reader acceptance, the methodology of reader acceptance, and the axiology of reader acceptance.Bakhtin systematically expounded the essence of reader acceptance from three levels Based on a thorough discussion of the essence and methods of reader acceptance, Bakhtin systematically revealed the holistic, dialogic, and open-ended values of reader acceptance. Bakhtin believed that although readers have different levels and realms in understanding and acceptance, the highest level is to encounter “the great works”, whether it is general appreciation or positively responsive understanding. Thus, Bakhtin’s reader acceptance poetic system provides three insights: aesthetic communication is the universal essence of literary creation and its reception activities; sociological poetics is the fundamental method for engaging in literary interpretation activities; open dialogue is the fundamental demand of literary reception activities. Bakhtin systematically expounded the essence of reader acceptance from three levels Based on a thorough discussion of the essence and methods of reader acceptance, Bakhtin systematically revealed the holistic, dialogic, and open-ended values of reader acceptance. Bakhtin believed that although readers have different levels and realms in understanding and acceptance, the highest level is to encounter “the great works”, whether it is general appreciation or positively responsive understanding. Thus, Bakhtin’s reader acceptance poetic system provides three insights: aesthetic communication is the universal essence of literary creation and its reception activities; sociological poetics is the fundamental method for engaging in literary interpretation activities; open dialogue is the fundamental demand of literary reception activities. Bakhtin systematically expounded the essence of reader acceptance from three levels Based on a thorough discussion of the essence and methods of reader acceptance, Bakhtin systematically revealed the holistic, dialogic, and open-ended values of reader acceptance. Bakhtin believed that although readers have different levels and realms in understanding and acceptance, the highest level is to encounter “the great works”, whether it is general appreciation or positively responsive understanding. Thus, Bakhtin’s reader acceptance poetic system provides three insights: aesthetic communication is the universal essence of literary creation and its reception activities; sociological poetics is the fundamental method for engaging in literary interpretation activities; open dialogue is the fundamental demand of literary reception activities.
		2025 Vol. 55 (1): 122-135 [Abstract] ( 19 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 848KB] ( 168 )

	136	Cai Xi

		On Visual Representation of Western Literature and Art Before Laocoon ^Hot!
		The theory of the heterogeneity of poetry and painting as expounded in Laocoon by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, has exerted a profound and lasting impact on the literary and artistic thought of later generations. However, the systematic research results of western visual representation before Laocoon are still rare. The four aspects, such as, the visual representation of “mimetic theory”, “mirror theory”, rationalism and empiricism clearly clarify the western theoretical origin of visual representation before Laocoon.The history of visual representation can be traced back to the ancient Greece. Before Plato, Socrates developed the idea that art imitates reality and idealizes it. Plato and Aristotle laid the foundation for the mode of western visual thinking. According to the visual representation view of “mimetic theory”, artists are the recreators of reality, both vision and text are imitations of the world in essence, and “representation” refers to both the act of imitation and the result of imitation. The mirror is often used as a metaphor in western literature to emphasize its verisimilitude. Plato used the mirror as a metaphor for the essence of imitation, which was often used by later theorists of literature and art, and until the 18th century some influential critics still explained the concept of imitation in terms of the essence of the mirror. The mirror theory is closely related to the imitation theory, which is actually a kind of visual representation. The two are basically used to explain the relationship between the work and the outside world, thinking that the work is a reflection of the outside world, just like a mirror, which is both objective and subjective. But the mirror theory ignores the author’s creative personality, the inherent requirements of the work and the influence of the artistic tradition.After the Renaissance, western visual representation developed in two directions, one being rationalism visual representation, and the other empiricism visual representation. Rationalism culture is a kind of text-oriented and visual culture which emphasizes “the representation of the soul”. The visual representation of empiricism takes perceptual experience as the starting point of visual representation, which gives empiricism philosophy a distinctively pictorial character. Natural philosophers have introduced the research methods of mechanical science into the field of psychological research, and one of the remarkable characteristics of these theories is picturization.Before Laocoon, the characteristics of western visual representation theory are mainly embodied in two aspects: the visual supremacy and the visual representation. The visual supremacy is established by the hierarchy of senses. Narrative and representation, as the basic categories of western poetic theory, are inseparable. The concept of visual representation remains a central theme from Platonism to neo-Platonism and then to contemporary anti-Platonism. An in-depth study of the theoretical foundation of the visual representation prior to Laocoon not only helps us to understand the academic historic origin of Lessing’s theory of the the heterogeneity of poetry and painting, but also provides significant insights into the critiques of the concept of visual representation in Western literary and artistic theory during the second half of the 20th century.
		2025 Vol. 55 (1): 136-147 [Abstract] ( 12 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 791KB] ( 30 )

	148	Fu Xu

		The Stylistic Features of Zhuan Zhu and Jiao Xun’s Statement of “No Text Is More Important than the Commentary” ^Hot!
		Modern anthologies and works on literary genres have broken through the traditional literary concepts since the late Qing Dynasty, extending the scope of “Wen” from “Ji” (miscellaneous works) to “Sibu” (the Four Categories in ancient China). In Zeng Guofan’s Miscellaneous Selections from Classics, Histories and Philosophical Works, the prefaces and postfaces of the “Writings” section mainly feature selected texts such as Zhouyi: Wenyan, Xici, and Liji: Guanyi. Although it did not regard the style of “Zhuan Zhu” (commentary and annotation) as an independent literary genre, Wang Baoxin and Gao Buying, influenced by the literary classification system of Miscellaneous Selections from Classics, Histories and Philosophical Works, both considered the commentary and annotation as an independent literary style.They categorized it under the broader categories, such as the “Writings” section or the “Arguments and Discussions” section, along with the related genres such as argumentative writing, prefaces, and postscripts. However, in terms of specific research methods, it should not limit the study to purely conceptual research. Instead, the stylistic characteristics of commentary and annotation should be discussed from both structural form and stylistic function of the text. By comparing annotations with related literary styles, it is possible to a certain extent to “restore” the rationale behind the modern scholars’ identification of annotations as a literary genre. “Zhuan Zhu” (commentary and annotation) includes not only “Zhuan” that is relatively independent from classical texts, and “Zhu” that is attached to classical texts, but also “explanatory essays” in the name of “Du” (reading), “Yi” (discussing), “Jie” (interpreting), “Bian” (distinguishing) and other prefaces, postscripts and argumentative proses since Tang and Song dynasties. As a typical exegetic text, it is inevitable that the research on the stylistic characteristics of commentary should be compared with similar texts such as preface, postscript and argumentation. On the one hand, Wenyan of the Book of Changes and Xici are relatively independent from the main text, and their expression modes and structural features are in some way analogous to the prefaces of some historical and philosophical works, such as Sima Qian’s “Taishi Gong Zixu” (Preface to the Records of the Grand Historian). These prefaces, which are characterized by “proper order”, are the closest examples to annotations and commentaries. On the other hand, although the “explanatory essays” in Tang and Song classical proses tended to focus on the philosophical and doctrinal aspects rather than sentence interpretation and etymology, heir subject matter and specific argumentative approaches often reflect a subjective intention to uphold the classics, or they are written with a tendency to elaborate on a topic by taking liberties with the original text. or to convey their political ideas, thus deviating from the original texts and tended to be superficial. In this sense, the “explanatory essays” are closer to general argumentative essays. Jiao Xun’s statement of “no text is more important than the commentary” represents a typical view in the discussion among scholars of the Qian-Jia era regarding whether textual research and commentaries belong to the category of “wen”. This view also implies a value judgment on what constitutes the ideal “explanatory essays”: Jiao Xun not only regarded the “explanatory essays” as the “texts for all ages”, pointing out its value above that of “the texts for imperial examinations” and “the texts for social interactions”, but also upheld the writing standard and ideal style based on “yi jing” (refined ideas) and “shi shi” (factual accuracy), providing a possible way for classical proses to achieve the integration of principles, textual research, and literary style. This is another important contribution that classical studies have made to classical Chinese literary theory, beyond the propositions of “text as a vehicle for the Dao” and “text as the scripture” in the study of classics.
		2025 Vol. 55 (1): 148-160 [Abstract] ( 9 ) [HTML 1KB] [PDF 956KB] ( 43 )

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