Abstract: The debate on literary canon in 1970s raised the cultural issue behind literary canonization and promoted the turn from literary study to cultural studies. The turn, however, has also resulted in a return to literary studies, which could be seen in the 1990s arguments of some representative scholars engaged in the debate. Scholars such as J. Guillory, Harold Bloom and Jonathan Culler have all expressed that the canonization of literary texts should center on literature and aesthetics. Their common appeal also implies an inherent logic which helps to reconcile the debate on literary canon.

Key words: the debate on literary canon, literary studies, returning, J. Guillory, Harold Bloom, Jonathan Culler