Vol. 48 No.4 12/2018
Title |
Yaodi Paozhuang from the Perspective of Literary Criticism During the Late Ming |
Author |
Lee Chung-ta |
Genre |
Article |
Pages |
725-762 |
Download |
|
Language |
Chinese |
Key words |
Zhuangzi莊子, Yaodi paozhuang藥地炮莊, Fang Yizhi方以智, literary criticism, wondrous books |
Abstract |
This paper argues that Yaodi paozhuang藥地炮莊belongs to the genre of literary criticism (pingdian 評點) from the late Ming and early Qing periods. While recent studies apply a philosophical approach to the research about Fang Yizhi 方以智 (1611-1671) and his commentary on Zhuangzi莊子, this paper adopts the method of literary criticism to reveal the reading skill and the interpretative strategy evident in Yaodi paozhuang. Considering the huge number of texts quoted in Yaodi paozhuang and the skill of meta-reading derived from the tradition of literary criticism, it is of great help to elucidate these elements in Fang’s work for a better understanding of this work. In addition, investigating the discursive field of late Ming and early Qing literati can shed some light on how popular novels and sophisticated writings like Zhuangzi were read and analyzed. In this way, many difficulties of reading Yaodi paozhuang can be overcome and messages Fang left for us can be transmitted more accurately. |