On the Aesthetic Connotation of “New Rational Spirit”

The New Rational Spirit literary theory proposed by Qian Zhongwen has the character of Chinese contemporariness and once aroused heated discussions. More than 20 years later, this theory is still worthy of discussion and exploration, that is, to sort out the internal logic in this theory’s puzzle, to explain the internal contradictory relation of the theory, and to make it has more theoretical self-consistency, so that it can also solve problems that have not been clarified in contemporary theory of literature and art. This paper argues that we need to understand the New Rational Spirit in the sense of aesthetics, it is not only because the theory starts with aesthetics but also because of the needs of aesthetics, the New Rational Spirit can integrate sensibility and form a new unity. Therefore, “aesthetic connotation” constitutes the inherent characteristics of the New Rational Spirit, which determines that the New Rational Spirit has the character of humanism, the internalized character of abundance, and the ethical character of shared communication and dialogue. In this way, it can also fully reflect the contribution that Qian Zhongwen has made to Chinese contemporary theory of literature and art.