THE EVOLUTION OF POLITICAL ECOLOGY AND THE SHIFT OF LITERARY SPIRIT: A STUDY ON THE RECONSTRUCTION OF LITERATI MENTALITY FROM YUAN HAOWEN TO ZHANG KEJIU
Keywords:
Song-Yuan dynastic transition; Political ecology; Spiritual transformation; Yuan Haowen; Zhang Kejiu; Literati mentality; Literary salvation; Aesthetic self-sufficiencyAbstract
Abstract: The Song-Yuan dynastic transition represents a crucial turning point in Chinese literary history, a historical process that not only reshaped the political landscape but also triggered profound transformations in the spiritual world of literati. This study takes Yuan Haowen and Zhang Kejiu as core subjects of investigation, employs a political ecological perspective, and constructs an analytical framework of "political ecology - literati mentality - literary expression" to explore the internal mechanisms of literary spiritual transformation during the Song-Yuan period. The research reveals that from the Northern Song's civil governance tradition to the Jin Dynasty's ethnic integration, and then to the Yuan Dynasty's multi-ethnic governance, each political transformation left profound imprints on literati mentality. Yuan Haowen represents the transition from active engagement to literary salvation, with his "poetry of chaos and loss" embodying profound historical grief and strong cultural mission; Zhang Kejiu represents the spiritual shift from traditional Confucian ideals to individual aesthetic experience, with his sanqu creation revealing the cultural connotations of the "elegant and refined" style. By constructing a bidirectional "push-pull" analytical model, this study reveals the process of spiritual transformation in Song-Yuan literature from "practical statecraft" to "aesthetic self-sufficiency." This transformation not only reflects the passive adaptation of literati groups to political pressure but also embodies their conscious awakening of subjective consciousness. The research conclusions hold significant academic value for understanding the developmental patterns of ancient Chinese literature and grasping the complex relationship between literature and politics, while providing historical insights for contemporary literary development during periods of social transformation.
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