Lectures & Other Activities

The Sino-Humanitas Distinguished Scholar Lecture Series, organized by the The Mr. Simon Suen and Mrs. Mary Suen Sino-Humanitas Institute, has been held for over ten years. The series has invited more than twenty distinguished scholars in Chinese humanities from both within the region and abroad to deliver lectures at Hong Kong Baptist University. This time, we are honoured to invite two Chair Professors from Hong Kong and Macau to present two special lectures on the theme of “Modern Interpretation of Ancient Chinese Literary Criticism.” Event details are as follows:

Sino-Humanitas Distinguished Scholar Lecture: The Modern Interpretation of Ancient Chinese Literary Criticism

Organiser: Mr. Simon Suen and Mrs. Mary Suen Sino-Humanitas Institute
Date: 24 November 2025, Monday
Time: 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Venue: Room RRS905, 9/F, Sir Run Run Shaw Building, Ho Sin Hang Campus, Hong Kong Baptist University
Language: Mandarin

Topics and Speakers:

The Internal System Theory of Ancient Chinese Literary Theory: Starting from a Triangular Pyramid Chart
Professor Cai Zongqi (Director of The Advanced Institute of Global Chinese Studies, Lee Wing Tat Chair Professor of Chinese Literature, Lingnan University)

On the Issue of the Modern Reconstruction of Traditional Chinese Literary Theory
Professor Zhang Jian (Associate Dean and Chair Professor, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Macau)

With the speakers' authorization, the lecture was video-recorded and the video is made available on the HKBU Library's website: https://hkbutube.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/inner.php?id=BTS-101263

Summary (in Chinese):

蔡宗齊教授題爲「從三線圖到三棱錐圖：中國古代文論內在體系的建構」的講座，由研究前沿切入，提出歸納研究的三個階段，經過通讀、選擇，將1000多條重要文論選段歸納出文學論、創作論、理解論、審美論四大類型，考察這四大類型之間的内在聯繫和共鳴。爲了尋找中國文學理論的統一原則，蔡教授比對了艾布拉姆斯（M. H. Abrams）的三線圖及劉若愚的循環圖表，而用12條關係綫勾勒出了中國文論體系。在蔡教授的架構中，宇宙、作品、讀者、作者，文學論（生成論、文章論）、審美論、理解論、創作論之間形成了有機的關係。其中實綫用來指中西文論中都有討論的文獻關係，順時針實綫箭頭標示文學創作和接受的不同階段，逆時針實綫箭頭標示批評家對四要素逆向互動的關注；虛綫則用來指各類被西方文論所忽略的、但在中國文論中廣爲關注的關係。爲了驗證這一整體思維原則，蔡教授將〈詩大序〉全文、陸機〈文賦〉、《文心雕龍》的文體分類均納入這一系統中予以驗證。最後，蔡教授強調：「整體思維原則貫穿了中國古代文論，在共時和歷時的兩個維度上將繁富龐雜文論術語、概念、命題統合為一個立體的、縱橫交錯的有機整體，從而彰顯了古人以跨界、全方位視野論述文學四大要素的民族特徵。」

張健教授題為「從詩話到詩學：中國傳統詩論的現代轉化」的講座，由「中國有詩話而無詩學」的命題切入，引導聽衆思考詩話與詩學、傳統與現代的關係。緊接著張健教授向我們展示了楊鴻烈《中國詩學大綱》裏援西論中的思維模式：楊氏認爲詩學有原理，乃是實踐的歸納；中國詩學有原理，但不成系統。而朱光潛的《詩論》呈現出以中證西的特質，他的著作體現出了現實關懷與比較方法，他在後記中尤其强調：「我在這裏試圖用西方詩論來解釋中國古典詩歌，用中國詩論來印證西方詩論。」非常值得一提的是，朱光潛對王國維的境界論展開了深入的討論。朱自清則著力於探究中國文論自身的現代框架，他的視野聚焦了從傳統詩文評到文學批評的可能，並強調「將中國還給中國」，其《詩言志辨》深入體現了其文論思想。錢鍾書則主張互相照明，他代表了另一種對現代學術的理解及另一種形式的現代轉化。作爲崇尚博雅的人文主義者，錢鍾書追求對普遍的詩與普遍的原理之探尋，並鍾愛神韻與象徵主義、神秘主義。張教授藉由這幾位先賢學者的例子，啓發我們去深入思考：人類文化有共性與特性，是強調普遍性還是特殊性？普遍的詩學只是存在於理想中還是已存在於現實中？

(Recorded by Zhang Zixuan, research postgraduate of the Institute)