China Social Science Review

No.1, 2022

The Construction of Zizangxue in the Light of New Zixue and the Prospects for Digital Humanities

(Abstract)

Chen Chengzha

With a foothold in textual creation and liberation, new zixue reconstructs zixue in a holistic and plural manner, so as to build on past achievements and set out on a new journey. There is an endogenous relationship between new zixue and zizang. Furthermore, the construction and significance of zizang studies rely on the prism of the new zixue concept. In the field of new zixue, studies of zizang, seen only as “things,” are superior to the traditional studies on the Imperial Library of Classical Works and Dunhuang studies in terms of breakthroughs in concepts, research direction, and methods. In their initial stage, the emerging digital humanities are at present adopting a research paradigm which carries on the research concepts and methods of the old classical studies, or scientism. They have taken a position on similarities in the work’s structures and content. Despite this, the future impact of the digital humanities will be very evident, as it implies a complete change in the subjects and objects of academic research. However, this trend relates fundamentally to the nature of people and data and their relationships. New zixue can and should fully rethink this issue and conduct authentic and effective humanistic research.