Title: Literary Studies from the Perspective of Civilizational Studies

Abstract: From Chinese literary studies to comparative literary studies, and then from foreign literature studies to comparative civilizational studies, literary scholars in contemporary China have increasingly exhibited an enhanced sense of cultural subjectivity in their civilizational discussions, pushing back against the dominant Western civilizational discourse in the context of modernity. However, rebuilding cultural subjectivity is not just about sifting through, integrating, or developing various discursive traditions. One of the unique values of literature lies in the fact that it is not only a reflection of civilization at the discursive level but also concerns the open-ended becoming of people in concrete contexts. Therefore, examining the creative thinking and open-ended expression of Chinese literature in relation to civilization can help us understand the future of Chinese civilization.

Keywords: civilizational studies, literary studies, modernity, Chinese civilization, cultural subjectivity

Author: Yanwei Tan, Associate Professor, Foreign Studies College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.

DOI: 10.19967/j.cnki.flc.2026.01.008