THE ORIGINS OF CHINESE HERMENEVTIC TRADITION IN LITERATURE

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THE ORIGINS OF CHINESE HERMENEVTIC TRADITION IN LITERATURE

Journal Title: Львівський філологічний часопис - Year 2018, Vol 4, Issue

Abstract

This article analyses the early interpretative tendencies in the scientific written work in ancient China. Moreover, the research describes the traditions of literary commentary, especially the pieces represented as separate philosophical treatises, forewords and concluding remarks to the sacral texts or other authors’ literary works, personal letters and anecdotal notes to the texts. The study identifies the meaning of adequate reading concept, as well as the guidelines that were followed by the Chinese scholars while clarifying fragments of canonical and historical literature, poetry and art, which were potentially ambiguous and difficult for understanding. There are examples of ancient Chinese philosophers’ ideology, including the ideas of Menzi and Confucius regarding the literary interpretation, mindful reading and correct understanding of the texts. The article also presents theoretical concepts developed and used by Chinese scientists in the 6th century to analyse and deeply understand the literary text. This study uses commentary notes of the Confucian ‘Four Books’ and ‘Five Classics’ in order to acquire deeper understanding of the commentary literature in China. Zhu Xi’s hermeneutic concepts are also considered in this article, as well as three types of reading comprehension that were developed in his theoretical scientific research. Also this study provides general overview of the monograph called ‘Chinese Theory of Reading and Writing. The Route to Hermeneu- ticsandOpenPoetics’byChinese-bornAmericanliteraryscholarMingDongGu. InhismonographprofessorMingDong Gu conducted an extremely detailed analysis of literary understanding and interpreting traditions that took place in ancient China. He placed two global problems as the key areas of his study: the concept of hermeneutic openness and the hermeneutic space in Chinese canonical texts. Based on his fundamental research this article studies the possibility of open interpretation in the ancient Chinese philosophical tradition, as well as the nature and targets of commentary literature in China.

Authors and Affiliations

Daria Oleksiivna Alzahrani

Keywords

hermeneutics interpretation commentary understanding hermeneutic openness

EP ID EP499647
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