General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in his important speech at the opening ceremony of the Eleventh National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Literary Circles and the Tenth National Congress of the China Writers Association that people with culture can better condense the soul; with art, it is easier to communicate with the world. The vast number of literary and art workers should base themselves on the land of China, tell Chinese stories well, and with a deeper vision, a broader mind, and a more confident attitude, choose the themes that can best represent China's changes and the Chinese spirit, carry out artistic expressions, shape more Chinese cultural images recognized by the world, strive to show a vivid and three-dimensional China, and write a new chapter for promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. In his important speech at the forum on literary and art work, General Secretary Xi Jinping also stressed that literature and art are the world's languages, and talking about literature and art is actually talking about society and life, and it is easiest to understand each other and communicate with each other.
These important expositions profoundly explain the important basis for the existence of the "literary community". Examining the "literary community" created by "world literature" and examining the relationship between the literatures of various ethnic groups within the "literary community" that compete on the same stage and correspond to each other in the same voice may bring some enlightenment to the construction of a "community with a shared future for mankind".
First, the writer acts as a tour guide, and people will quickly and deeply understand the humanistic features of the world in the aesthetic enjoyment
As an iconic classic of Marxism, the Communist Manifesto is known for its profound historical analysis, broad-mindedness and full of passion. This classic eloquently expounds the inevitable changes in the social structure brought about by the mode of production and exchange. Nevertheless, many elaborate interpretations do not ignore a particular proposition mentioned in the Communist Manifesto: the formation of world literature.
In the first half of the 19th century, the concept of "world literature" already appeared in the rhetoric of writers and thinkers such as Goethe, but the expression of the Communist Manifesto went far beyond the simple literary category and pointed to universal spiritual and cultural production: "The self-sufficiency and self-seclusion of the local and national communities in the past has been replaced by the mutual intercourse and interdependence of all aspects of the peoples. This is true of material production, and it is also true of spiritual production. The spiritual products of the nations became public property. National one-sidedness and limitations are increasingly becoming impossible, and many kinds of national and local literature form a kind of world literature. ”
The mode of production and exchange of modern society has inexorably broken through the tangible and intangible boundaries between "local" and "national", and the modern exchange system has not only created a wide circulation of material products, but also spiritual products that have broken free from the restrictions of origin and spread to all corners of the world. This description shows the path in which universal world literature was formed.
During the 2019 Shanghai International Literature Week, Chinese and foreign writers gathered together and conducted a number of literary exchanges.
Of course, the so-called "world literature" is not another set of very different texts that wander away from the "place" and the "nation", but shows that the literary works of the "place" and the "nation" have acquired the nature of the "world" by the result of their dissemination; at the same time, the "world" is not a stage of some hegemonic monopoly, and must be purchased separately - on the contrary, every "place" and "nation" has entered the world, they are all components of the world, and they are qualified to use the world as a space for creation.
The literary situation of more than a hundred years has more and more clearly confirmed the proposition of "world literature", and at the same time, literature and literary studies have begun to consciously realize the existence of world history. People have used a variety of concepts to describe the evolution of literature before and after the 19th century, such as Romanticism, Realism, Modernism, Postmodernism, etc., and the connotations of these concepts all involve an understanding of the interactive relationship between literature and history.
Worldwide, whether it is the independence of countries, the liberation of nations, or the transformation of customs and customs, the reshaping of life by technology, and the different concepts of nature and life, various historical waves have formed echoes in literature. The competition between literary styles or literary forms involves the unique discovery and reproduction of history by literature.
Realist literature is good at objectively depicting the picture of social history, and all kinds of characters become the axis of these pictures; Romantic literature is obsessed with high-mindedness and magic, and modernist literature exudes strong gloom and irony, both of which all imply some of literature's criticism of modernity—luxurious consumerism, greed and materialism, bourgeois philosophy and utilitarianism. Usually, the national literature of a certain historical period shows a relatively concentrated theme, a relatively consistent literary style or literary form. In contrast, "world literature" is often colorful and confusing. This depends not only on the different literary traditions of the various nationalities, but also on the different historical themes and historical rhythms of each "place".
However, precisely because of the variety of colors, the vision of "world literature" may go beyond special regions or cultural circles to form an increasingly clear world consciousness. As a fascinating cultural window, literature constantly shows the diversity of the world. Although literature offers only spiritual travel on paper, however, thanks to the role of the writer as a guide, people will quickly and deeply understand the humanities of the world in aesthetic enjoyment. The American scholar Bendi Nick and Anderson once argued that the printing materials that appeared after the 15th century played an important role in promoting the formation of the "imaginary community". Literature is the most attractive category of print, and literature helps people understand the wider world in a subtle way. New understandings, to say the least, have created a group of intellectuals who can talk about the world together.
Although many writers have participated in the production of "world literature" from different directions, most of the outstanding writers have stored in their hearts more "nations" than "worlds"—they usually use their own people as the center of the circle. The world is so big, not all places are full of nostalgia. National history is the cultural soil for a writer's growth, the spiritual protection of a writer, and the object of a writer's lasting attention. "Why do I always have tears in my eyes? For I love this land deeply..." For literature, this "love" is an indispensable spiritual wealth. National history often gives writers real inspiration and inexhaustible creative energy.
If many nation-states together make up the world, then the history of each nation is a unique part of the world. To show the historical secrets of each nation is the dedication of national literature to world literature. Therefore, as an independent chapter of "world literature", China's "May Fourth" new literary movement clearly shows the dialectical relationship between the world and the nation. A group of "May Fourth" writers, led by Chen Duxiu, Hu Shi, and Lu Xun, all had the vision of world literature, but the important purpose of their involvement in literature was to heal their own nation. Literature proves this view once again: being placed in the reference provided by the world picture, a people can know themselves more deeply, and a deeper understanding of themselves is precisely another gain brought about by world consciousness.
Spiritual products hide a special magic power relative to the material products offered by the market. Material products usually follow the law of abandoning the old and new, and new models and new functions quickly cover or replace the old models. When conditions permit, no one wants to drive a worn-out car from a hundred years ago, or use a black-and-white television set from fifty years ago. However, spiritual products exist in a far broad range of echoes. A classic work seems to sow the seeds of the spirit all the time. One cannot predict at what time and place these spiritual seeds will germinate, who the subjects of their reception will be, and what effects they will have.
A large part of the dialogue between different countries and peoples is based on world consciousness. The world is so big that individuals can only get involved in a limited number of places; as a vocabulary of mutual knowledge, literature can help people of different nationalities understand and even participate in the world together. Therefore, the world's numerous literary classics show the existence of "human beings". "Humans" live in all corners of the globe, yet they are interconnected communities – whether they realize it or not.
General Secretary Xi Jinping's initiative to build a "community with a shared future for mankind" contains a strong sense of the world. As a response to the "great changes unprecedented in a century", the "community of human destiny" is not only a far-sighted strategic concept, but also shows a strong historical urgency. The concept of a "community with a shared future for mankind" points to an important feature that is different from the past today: "human beings" as a whole appear more and more in more and more occasions. There are many new signs that the fates of humanity are being closely linked. Whether it's climate issues, space development, environmental protection, or biosecurity, many nation-states have had to cooperate extensively to share the dividends of success or share the sad consequences of failure. Extreme weather, ecosystem damage and rising sea levels brought about by climate problems are global, and the inhabitants of any region can be blameless. Covid-19 is another classic case. If "humans" cannot join forces to stop the chain of transmission of the virus, no country can go unchecked.
The Belt and Road Initiative connects China and the world. Xinhua News Agency
When "humanity" is seen as a whole, certain tendencies are more dangerous than expected— and the problems posed by these tendencies are far from threatening individual regions, but endangering "humanity" as a whole. History shows that some things are quietly taking unexpected turns: wealth and science and technology have brought many convenient goods to mankind, but because the development of various groups is becoming more and more unbalanced, wealth and science and technology have unconsciously infiltrated certain negative factors. The Communist Manifesto states: "The productive forces created by the bourgeoisie in its less than a hundred years of class rule are more and greater than the total productive forces created by all previous generations. In the more than one hundred years since the publication of the Communist Manifesto, this trend has continued unabated, and the developed science and technology have at the same time constituted a stable guarantee for the development of the productive forces.
However, with the rapid growth of social wealth, a fair wealth distribution scheme has not emerged in the world as scheduled, and the gap between the rich and the poor is even greater than ever. Another fact that goes hand in hand with the rapid growth of social wealth is that advanced science and technology have simultaneously developed powerful weapon systems whose lethality is not limited to one time and one place, but endangers all mankind.
In addition, due to the rapid development of human society, the pressure on the natural environment is getting greater and greater, and the ecological problems brought about by the natural environment may be distributed in any corner of the earth, so that the overall "human beings" are in a state of solidarity. In the face of this historical situation, the initiative to build a "community with a shared future for mankind" has shown special appeal. The "Community of Shared Future for Mankind" advocates tolerance and mutual learning among all peoples and countries, harmony and differences, and advocates multilateralism and a fair and reasonable new type of international relations. This initiative is acutely aware of a major problem that historical development is encountering: how can humanity overcome the obstacles created by various negative factors with greater solidarity after the intertwining of globalization has become the norm?
From politics, economics, international relations, and global governance to cultural traditions and civilizational traditions, the strategic concept of a "community with a shared future for mankind" brings together a variety of far-sighted insights and opens up a variety of ideological paths for different disciplines. Like many disciplines, literature will echo this extraordinary historical judgment in its own form and actively participate in concrete construction. It can be seen that some science fiction literature has successively reproduced the ominous picture caused by nuclear war in the form of fantasy. If science fiction literature expresses its concerns about the future in a tortuous way, then it is the responsibility of realist writers to explore history more actively. The unprecedented historical theme of building a "community with a shared future for mankind" will create a huge space for understanding and imagination for literature.
For literature, true history is not only a set of suspended ideas and concepts, but also a heavy content that enters the corner of everyone's life. Literary works usually cut into the protagonist's life experiences and ups and downs, depicting the daily experiences, joys and sorrows and various specific encounters of all sentient beings, but the writer will pay close attention to the historical trends precipitated in ordinary details: what factors in emotions and experiences help to unite mankind? How does literature's affirmation of justice, goodness, and human warmth continue to add positive energy to humanity? In the more intense international game, which broad historical platforms can accommodate various divergent intentions, seek common ground while reserving differences, alleviate the gaps formed by various imbalances, and thus seek new balance possibilities? This means new horizons and wisdom, and also provides a major resource for the literature of the future.
The cultural traditions of various ethnic groups can become cultural resources for the construction of modern society. On the world cultural platform, the contribution of Chinese national culture to building a "community with a shared future for mankind" will become increasingly apparent
If modern society is seen as a universal pursuit, then "humanity" will deal with the problem as a whole. At this time, the relationship between modernity, the theme of modernization and the construction of a "community with a shared future for mankind" will become a special focus.
Is modern society a universal pursuit? This issue has been discussed. In the 1950s and 1960s, some Theorists in the West tried to propose "modernization" modeled on the West according to a certain ideology. However, this model has been repeatedly resisted, and many peoples have not surrendered the historical goal of "modernization".
Engels said in "Speech at Marx's Grave": "Just as Darwin discovered the law of development of the organic world, Marx discovered the law of development of human history, that is, a simple fact that has always been hidden by the multitude of ideologies: people must first eat, drink, live, wear, and then they can engage in politics, science, art, religion, and so on. ”
The material conditions represented by "eating, drinking, living, and wearing" are the preconditions for determining spiritual life such as "politics, science, art, and religion." At the same time, material production and spiritual production have a relatively independent logic, and the development of the former drives the continuous evolution of the latter, and both constantly pursue a more perfect realm. Although the measures of "modernity" vary and the economic, cultural and social management results of nation-states vary, modern society constitutes a commonly recognized station of the human historical movement. Universal pursuits make it possible for nation-states to encounter similar development problems, and there is close cooperation and interaction between the modern societies constructed by various nation-states, whether in science and technology or in economic, political, or cultural.
On December 3, 2021, the China-Laos Railway was officially opened for operation. Xinhua News Agency
However, as Harvard University researcher Tu Weiming said, "modernization" is not the same as "Westernization." Although "modernization" originated in Europe, "if we begin to look at modernization from a multi-civilizational perspective, then the idea that contemporary Western experiences should be repeated elsewhere in the world is no longer credible." Tu Weiming examines the participation of Confucian culture in East Asian modernity, and summarizes a number of characteristics that are different from Western modernity, such as the function of government in the market economy, the interaction between law and benevolence, the interaction of courtesy, the meaning of the family as a basic unit, and the organic connection between home and state, public and private, education and personality, self-cultivation and morality, and so on. Regardless of whether there are discrepancies in many specific analyses, Tu Weiming's conclusion is thought-provoking: "The fact that Confucian East Asia can be fully modernized without radical Westernization shows that modernization can take different cultural forms." It is therefore conceivable that Southeast Asia could modernize itself, neither Westernizing nor East Asianizing. On a larger scale, there is reason to believe that "traditions inherent in all parts of the world have the potential to transform and develop their own modernity different from that of the West." ”
In his view, dialogue among civilizations around the world is a top priority, and dialogue is the prerequisite for the establishment of a world peace order. The universal pursuit of modern society and the assumption of a variety of modernity contain the dialectic between "same" and "different" that must be faced to build a "community of human destiny": under similar historical coordinates, people in different nation-states may form similar pursuits, however, each nation-state can rely on its own cultural traditions and choose different paths to reach modern society. In other words, the common denominator of values forms the basis of the "community", but the nation-states are not zoned on the same runway, and each nation-state can go its own way and ascend to the high ground from different directions.
Modern society, in contrast to ancient societies, implies major structural transformations. Frequent interactions around the world have led to increasingly dense spatial interactions between different nation-states, and relatively declining cultural traditions inherited from time to time within nation-states. This kind of cultural syndrome often produces fierce debates, cultural traditions and foreign cultures are at odds with each other, and accusations of "forgetting ancestors", "admiring foreign countries" or "clinging to the shortcomings" and "sticking to one's own" have arisen one after another. In fact, this situation involves the multilateral relationship between national subjects, national cultures and foreign cultures.
Entering the world's cultural exchanges, various cultural strategies such as borrowing, reference, criticism, and worship may appear. At this time, the national subject is always a primary criterion. Lu Xun advocated "take-ism", and "taking" is to borrow other people's wine glasses and pour their own blocks. Lu Xun claimed to have written novels based on reading hundreds of "foreign works" and "a little medical knowledge." It doesn't matter which "foreign work" he teaches, what matters is that he really writes the spiritual outlook of Chinese. When defending the national subject, imitating the opponent may also become a cultural strategy, the so-called "mastery of the art to control the yi".
Another important idea that the perspective of multiple modernities seeks to prove is that the cultural traditions of various peoples can become cultural resources for the construction of modern society. On the platform of world culture, the contribution of Chinese national culture to building a "community with a shared future for mankind" will become increasingly apparent. If the "introduction" of culture has been an important enlightenment work for many intellectuals for more than a century, then perhaps it is time to talk about the "export" of culture. To a large extent, it has become an urgent task to re-understand traditional culture, carry forward and apply traditional culture according to the current historical situation, and carry out creative transformation and innovative development of traditional culture. In fact, Goethe proposed the proposition of "world literature" when he talked to his secretary about the Chinese Qing Dynasty novel "The Tale of the Good".
Of course, the so-called cultural "export" must be based on the cultural quality of the nation-state. What contents of Chinese national culture will win the general interest of different nationalities? This is a high-profile topic. As a people with a long history, there are many cultural examples to show. From Li Bai, Du Fu and Cao Xueqin within the literary category to the wider Confucianism, Interpretation and Taoism, many cultural examples have demonstrated world-class cultural creativity. No matter how we analyze the successes and failures of each cultural paradigm, this cultural creativity is a common universal characteristic and an intrinsic driver of national culture.
More than a century of cultural "introduction" has at the same time invisibly created a defensive posture of national culture. The strong sense of defense even makes people ignore the huge innovative energy hidden within the national culture. Throughout the endless history of China, we must be good at discovering and discovering the unique innovation impulses and innovative forms of national culture.
I would like to repeat a concise example in the history of Chinese calligraphy to emphasize this feature. Some advocate the restoration of traditional characters as a form of homage to cultural traditions. However, the evolution of Chinese characters proves that the ancients once boldly simplified fonts again and again. After the increasingly complex society formed more and more text exchanges, the ancients did not stick to the rules and accepted inefficient writing speed. From seal writing, lishu, and calligraphy to xingshu and cursive writing, the unremitting reform spirit of the ancients can be detected from behind the evolution of these fonts. The amazing real creation is that each new type of font is transformed into a beautiful calligraphic art in the hands of the ancients.
The Chinese national culture is both thick and heavy, but also has no lag, and "keeping right" and "innovating" are two aspects that are interrelated. When looking back at national culture, there is no reason to forget the cultural creativity of the ancients. Talking about the "community of human destiny" and multiple modernities, this cultural creativity manifests itself as a variety of unique Chinese wisdom.
The beauty of three and plum blossoms does not reject chrysanthemums, just as the beauty of Chinese painting does not reject oil painting. When forming an aesthetic family, different faces flash expressions of mutual understanding
As a comprehensive study of literature between different nationalities or different countries, "comparative literature" once tended to summarize the consistent law of "people with the same heart, the same heart" in the "literary community", which Qian Zhongshu summarized as "the East Sea and the West Sea, the psychology is the same, the south is learning the north, and the Taoism is not cracked." However, others point more to worldwide cultural differences, divisions, and even conflicts —the idea of a clash of civilizations was once in vogue than these bookish cultural visions. If cultural hegemony is an important trigger for differences, disagreements, and even conflicts, Western-centrism is causing more and more backlash. A kind of public opinion has long been popular: Western culture is a more mature civilization, Western concepts serve as the starting point for all kinds of meanings; Western literature is more superior, whether it is to show the richness and profundity of characters or the multi-directional exploration of literary forms, Western literature is a condescending existence. Today, these ideas have been questioned and criticized, including by a group of Western intellectuals. In fact, the two tendencies of consistency and disagreement of the "literary community" involve the internal and external aspects of national culture, respectively, and involve complex games of culture and economy, politics and even military.
President Xi Jinping's important speech at the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the legitimate seat of the United Nations in the People's Republic of China profoundly pointed out that the world is rich and colorful, and diversity is the charm of human civilization, and it is also the source of vitality and motivation for world development. "Unless you are beautiful, you can't become a miracle of one person." Civilization has no distinction between superior and inferior, superior or inferior, only characteristics and regional differences, only in exchanges can it be integrated, and can it be improved in integration.
On the evening of February 20, the closing ceremony of the 24th Winter Olympic Games in Beijing was held at the National Stadium. It's a fireworks show. Xinhua News Agency
Any type of civilization is closely related to the life experience of a particular region and different peoples. Race, environment, epoch and various cultural traditions have all been involved in the long accumulation of civilizations. Relative to the reproduction of a nation, there is always a metabolic mechanism within the national culture; however, when many ethnic groups are in a state of self-sufficiency, there is no principle of high and low between national cultures. On the broad world stage, every type of civilization is qualified to earn respect.
Modern history has gradually opened the door to every people— and the time when the world is united is the day when various types of civilizations communicate with each other. The complementarity of the various national cultures comes at an opportune time. Regrettably, on many occasions, the exchange of civilizations around the world has not been carried out smoothly with an atmosphere of warm pulse. When the development and occupation of the market become the primary driving force for breaking the national border, the exchange of interests and even the competition for interests inevitably intervenes in and even dominates the exchange of civilizations, thus bringing about multi-faceted tensions. Past history does not provide many optimistic examples.
It is precisely when examining the various modernities that the modernity of some Western countries is linked to the history of imperial hegemony and colonization. This social relationship shows that the measurement of interests becomes the core of all measurements, and the serious conflicts of interests often serve as the fuse of war. When the cannon of the ship becomes the language of dialogue, when the law of the jungle vividly interprets the tragedy of "backwardness is to be beaten", the exchange of civilizations is sadly reduced to an insignificant appendage, and even constitutes an irony. Compared with the concept of a mutually beneficial "community of human destiny", this historical situation is particularly glaring.
At least for now, traditional international relations, economic and trade systems, or cultural exchange networks have not been able to provide a solid foundation for comprehensive cooperation among "human beings." From ancient religions to modern classes, nations, and states, there are all kinds of heavy concepts that are of an obvious dual nature: they can become the cornerstone of the identity of some social communities, or they can become barriers that reject or even exclude others. At the same time, other concepts such as identity, ethnicity, gender, etc. continue to pour in. The rhetoric that has been formed around the two batches of concepts is abundant, which just proves that the problems involved in both batches of concepts are not outdated. These questions not only constitute the background of the "community of human destiny", but also the content that this historical theme will surpass. "Humanity" as a whole – if this situation means new opportunities , then at the same time, new requirements must be aware.
According to Marx and Engels, only when the wealth of society is greatly enriched, and "the free development of everyone is the condition for the free development of all people", then the conflict of interest will disappear into invisibility. However, although this social condition has not yet been formed, the relative independence of culture can still draw a relatively independent historical platform. This area can be quite free from the preoccupied exchange of interests and even sharp conflicts of interest, such as the aesthetic compatibility of the "literary community" with the literature of various nationalities. Aesthetics favor differences in personality while constructing a wide range of resonance areas. The beauty of plum blossoms does not reject chrysanthemums, just as the beauty of Chinese painting does not reject oil painting. When forming an aesthetic family, different faces flash expressions of mutual understanding. Poetry and drama can coexist, and music and sculpture go hand in hand. The same is true of the very different styles of literature of various nationalities. This is also the reason why Chinese writers can tell Chinese stories to the world. Chinese aesthetic interest, Chinese style, and Chinese style are precisely the most respected in the "literary community".
The construction of the "literary community" shows that the various personalities of literature constitute non-confrontational differences. Aesthetics are no longer responsible for expanding the territory, competing in products and creating profits, and the non-confrontational differences in personality will get rid of the entanglement of interests and become the object of mutual complementarity and even mutual appreciation. The great pleasure of aesthetic creative labor is no longer the additional burden of sustaining existence, but the exertion of free nature; at this time each individuality will acquire a vast space and will no longer succumb to the measurement of interests. This is also a vivid interpretation of "harmony and difference". Revealing the basis behind the aesthetic compatibility of the "literary community", and trying to show the desirable and beautiful nature of the historical vision of the "community of human destiny" in a metaphorical way. Although the conditions are not yet fully in place, there is already great hope of success in cooperation in certain fields, as in the "literary community".
(Author: Nan Fan, Researcher of Fujian Research Center for Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, Researcher of Fujian Academy of Social Sciences)
Source: Guangming Daily (March 23, 2022, 14th edition)
Editor-in-charge: Wang Zimo
Editor: Sun Dai, Wang Yuanfang, Zhang Xueyu