Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.3, 2022

The Problems of and Solutions to the Concept of Progress in Modern Chinese Literary Theory

(Abstract)

Hao Ertao

Although the concept of progress has guided modern Chinese literary theory to get rid of the traditional retro and circular concept, it also has resulted in a lack of purpose, subjectivity, and academic criticism, which is pertinent to our misunderstanding of the concept of progress. This misunderstanding chiefly refers to the views: considering progress as modernization, as human progress, and as positive values, which is related to the concept of linear time and many additional artificial factors under its logic.