Abstract: The paper claims that researches on literary theory in contemporary China have been restricted in intellectual horizon and displays a tendency of homogeneity and one-dimensionality, which in turn results in a path that depends on the novelty and change. The author argues that one fundamental way to offset this dependence is to return to the origin and explore the source. This paper tries to redefine the problem consciousness and intellectual horizon and re-clarify the methodological path of literary theory research in order to promote the interventional nature of literary theory research and the mergence between theory and thoughts in the contemporary civilization transformation.

Key words: literary theory research, path dependence, conditioned thinking, paradigm shift