Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.3, 2020

 

Debates on Postmodernism in China: Reflection and Inspiration

(Abstract)

 

Wang Ning

 

The critical reception of postmodernism in China, on the one hand, gives Chinese critics and literary scholars who are committed to theoretical innovation a broad vision and allows them to fully realize the world’s diversity as well as the multiple possibilities of interpretation. On the other hand, this discussion also enables a group of Chinese scholars who are active in thinking and innovation to show their theoretical strength to the global academic community, thus laying the foundation for the dialogue between Chinese and Western literary theories on an equal footing. This has shown us that virtually all theoretical propositions have basically been raised by Western theorists. Although Chinese scholars have reached the forefront of international theories, their voice is still very weak. In order to truly realize the internationalization of Chinese literary theory, it is crucial to put forward a number of theoretical propositions with universal significance, which ought to be transmitted via international journals or publishing houses in the academic lingua franca.