Emerging since the late 1990s, new materialism has become one of the most influential philosophies and critical theories in the contemporary West. With its anti-anthropocentric and anti-constructivist stances, new materialism advocates for the agency and vitality of matter and things, thereby proposing a relational ontology. From the perspective of new materialism, humans and nonhumans are materially embedded and entangled. At the same time, nonhuman matter, not unlike its human counterparts, are participatory actants in ecology, society, and politics. Despite its inherent re-enchantment of matter and anthropomorphism, new materialism, as an epistemological-ontological-ethical philosophical framework, can serve as both a new ontology and ecological ethics for the Anthropocene.

Franz Kafka's late short story “A Hunger Artist” depicts an artist who performs the act of hunger within the confines of an iron cage. The figure's self-referential reflexivity, a hallmark of modernity, along with the story's dual dimensions of “testimony” and “prophecy,” has inspired creative interpretations from theorists including Walter Benjamin and Giorgio Agamben. These interpretations encompass perspectives including theological allegory, corporeal apparatus, historical consciousness, and testimonial writing. Together, they illuminate the core theme of “art as installation-event.” By undertaking a comparative reading of the story and its critical interpretations, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the “dialectical phenomenon” in avant-garde art during the 20th-century modern art movement, which combined destructive and creative forces. This movement saw art transition from still-life to installation, performance, and even event.

In the 1920s, Chinese scholars, represented by Mao Dun, analyzed through reconstructive interpretation and extracted the referential value components via different routes of “naturalism”, ultimately shaping a more idealized literary model. This article examines a typical case of China's absorption of foreign literary concepts in the early twentieth century. Positioned retrospectively, Chinese scholars dynamically synthesized the theoretical resources and practical experiences of European and Japanese scholars, allowing the concept of naturalism to evolve and become a driving force for the development of local literary history. In conclusion, through the process of translation, citation, reference and restatement, the Chinese literary field witnessed the convergence, intertextualization, dissociation and re-exportation of European and Japanese experiences. Building upon these layered meanings, Chinese critics further advanced the methodological construction and dynamic conceptualization of naturalism.

The revival of modern-text Confucianism laid a solid ideological and theoretical foundation for the emergence and development of the “literary revolution” in the late Qing dynasty. In response to the challenges posed by scholars of modern-text Confucianism, scholars of ancient-text Confucianism also put forward a confrontational approach to the literary revolution. This not only created a unique landscape of two competing forces in the modern transformation of Chinese literature but also provoked diverse thoughts and practices regarding the nature and revolution of literature among contemporary scholars. The debate between modern-text and ancient-text Confucianism continued until the May Fourth New Literature Movement. Under the influence of the eastward expansion of Western learning, this important driving force from within the tradition has long been overlooked by the academic community, which has affected the comprehensive and in-depth study and reflection on the transformation of modern Chinese literature.

Noel Carroll's multidisciplinary research on philosophy of film, aesthetics and philosophy of art combines philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, ethics, cognitive science and biology, revealing the new trend of analytical aesthetics and philosophy of art in the late twentieth century. Carroll adopts an eclectic strategy in his middle-level approach to the philosophy of art. His method of historical narrative incorporates historical and narrative dimensions, complementing the history-intention theory and the institutional theory of art. He examines the traditional concept of mass art from a neutral position, attempting to construct the philosophy of mass art. He also relies on the latest results of psychology, philosophy of mind and cognitive science to develop the concept of emotional cognitivism, claiming rationality as an organic part of emotion. The construction of Carroll's art theories such as the definition, the ontology and the emotion of art appear as a middle-level approach, which is between the construction of grand theory and the critical practice of specific works, advocating a plural theory and behavior of theoretical analysis.

Nihilism, intertwined with anarchist thought, was introduced to China in the late Qing Dynasty and attracted widespread attention. Although Lu Xun was not a nihilist in the strict sense, his philosophical outlook exhibited clear nihilistic tendencies. Zhu Qianzhi, a representative nihilist during the May Fourth period, radically rejected and resisted all established norms, asserting that “knowledge is stolen goods”, a position Lu Xun satirically critiqued. Despite their shared engagement with nihilist ideas, these two followed fundamentally different intellectual trajectories: Lu Xun represents a mature engagement with nihilism, marked by appropriation, critical reflection, and eventual transcendence, while Zhu embodies the impulsive radicalism of the newly awakened May Fourth youth, asserting individuality through a wholesale rejection of tradition. Their divergence illustrates what Friedrich Nietzsche called “negative nihilism”, characterized by Lu Xun's strategic grappling with despair through ironic gamesmanship, and “positive nihilism” expressed by Zhu Qianzhi through a feverish drive to “shatter the void and level the earth.” Together, they exemplify the dual expressions of nihilism in modern Chines thought, representing two unique adaptations of Yevgeny Bazarov's nihilist legacy within the Chinese context and revealing the diverse ways in which Chinese thinkers assimilated nihilism.

Wang Guowei's Criticism on A Dream of Red Mansions is acclaimed as a groundbreaking work in the history of Chinese literary criticism for its “organized and systematic” approach. However, a notable textual discontinuity exists between the Chapter III and IV, revealing ideological shifts and editorial interventions by Wang himself. He openly acknowledged that Chapter IV abandoned Schopenhauer's theory of the will, which formed the philosophical foundation of Chapter III. A close examination of Wang’ s editorial practices as the chief editor of World of Education revealed a striking anomaly: while articles marked with “to be printed in the next issue” consistently appeared as scheduled in the subsequent issue, Chapter IV of Criticism was the sole exception. Influenced by Nietzsche's ethics, Wang began to question “the highest ideal of Schopenhauer's ethics,” prompting a revision of the chapter's publication schedule. Titled as “The Ethical Value of A Dream of Red Mansions,” Chapter IV marked a significant shift. Later, as Criticism evolved from serialized publication to a self-selected anthology, Wang meticulously revised earlier arguments in Chapter II to align with the new ethical stance in Chapter IV. This case highlight how media morphosis profoundly influenced the development of early modern Chinese literary criticism.

In the original manuscript of Wang Guowei's Poetic Remarks in the Human World, the phrase ‘yao miao yi xiu’ (delicate beauty, fittingly adorned), used to describe the characteristics of ci poetry, has been widely praised by scholars. However, this particular passage was omitted from the officially published version. Researchers have either overlooked this omission or expressed doubts about it. This paper argues that the discussion of ‘delicate beauty, fittingly adorned’ and the distinction between shi poetry and ci poetry reflects Wang Guowei's early views on ci poetry, which differ from the newer ideas presented in this book. The newer ideas in Poetic Remarks in the Human World center on the concept of ‘realm’ (jingjie) with modern aesthetic implications, and on his later belief in the unity of shi poetry and ci poetry. The passage on ‘delicate beauty, fittingly adorned’ is largely a compilation of earlier theories on ci poetry, and the brief remarks on the distinction between shi poetry and ci poetry merely continue prior discussions, lacking substantial theoretical innovation. For this reason, it was excluded from the final version. A thorough and systematic interpretation of the passage on ‘delicate beauty, fittingly adorned’ is nevertheless of great significance for understanding Wang Guowei's evolving thoughts on ci poetry.

It is generally acknowledged in academic circles that Charles Baudelaire, as a representative of aestheticism, advocated the idea of “art for art's sake”. Baudelaire's theory of correspondence inherits the concept of Universalpoesie from early German Romanticism, emphasizing the role of imagination. As the essence of poetry, imagination unifies all aspects of existence, including art and life. Baudelaire examined the dimension of time and space in modernity, regarded the dandy as the hero of modern life, and saw the artificial beauty of surprise as a symbol of modern life's meaning. In doing so, he embraced truth and goodness through beauty within the revolutionary sphere of everyday life, seeking to reconstruct a new morality for capitalist society. Although the excessive pursuit of instant pleasure can lead to hedonism, the theory of correspondence remains highly significant in the history of aesthetics. It reveals the meaning of modern life and introduces key concepts such as the aestheticization of everyday life, body aesthetics, and other dimensions of life aesthetics.

The genre fiction mode represents the primary form of Chinese Internet literature at its current stage. Although this form embodies the collective labor of mass authors and readers in the Internet age, it is not a result of the autonomous production of Internet literature. Instead, it is deeply rooted in the history of literary commercialization propelled by publishing capitalism and serves as a new tool for capitalist expansion into the literary and cultural domains. From the early publication of physical books through forums and literary websites to the establishment of the “Qidian” model on literary websites, there is a continuous thread of literary commercialization. The “Qidian model,” by implementing a closed-loop operation of literary activities and systematic abstraction, has established an industrial standard for online literary production, consolidated the genre fiction production mode, and simultaneously legitimized the logic of capital accumulation. Failing to acknowledge the historical continuity of literary commercialization when studying the mainstream of Internet genre fiction would result in the loss of a critical perspective on Internet literature research.

Theatricality, as a core concept in drama and theatre studies, has continually evolved as its meanings have been shaped by theatrical practices, socio-cultural contexts, and academic discourses. Over time, its scope has expanded beyond the field of theatre into cultural studies and philosophy. Historically, theatricality was often stigmatized in popular perception due to its associations with artifice, exaggeration, and imitation. However, through the successive innovations of realist drama, modernist theatre, and postmodern performance, the concept has been reconstructed, acquiring renewed theoretical and aesthetic value. Since the twentieth century, scholarly engagement with theatricality has developed along two primary trajectories: the theatrical mode, which emphasizes its distinctive features as an artistic and formal property of theatre, and the cultural mode, which investigates its metaphorical and symbolic functions in everyday life, social behavior, and political culture. From an interdisciplinary perspective, theatricality has become a critical tool in contemporary art philosophy, anthropology, and media critique. While theatricality has experienced growing theoretical sophistication and expanded applicability, it has also encountered conceptual overlap with and theoretical tension against the emerging concept of performativity.

This study contests the prevalent perception of graffiti writing, especially tagging and bombing, as meaningless vandalism. It contends that graffiti is a form of expression with intrinsic political implications. Leveraging the notion of spatial justice and Jacques Rancière's philosophy, I demonstrate how graffiti reclaims urban visibility against the commercial monopoly of visibility in public spaces and challenges the inequitable allocation of opportunities for self-expression in modern cities. Despite writers' common denial of political motives, their actions may be interpreted as manifestations of resistance within wider socio-spatial conflicts. This study situates graffiti within discussions of political art, spatial commodification, and everyday resistance, proposing a normative framework for viewing the art of the urban signature as an activity that redefines “the community that speaks.”

The concept of “representation” involves a lexical genealogy of multi-ethnic languages. At the core of this semantic spectrum is substitution that engages both the self and the other, thus demonstrating an oscillating character in terms of its presence. In this regard, “zaixian”, despite its connotation of otherness, is often seen as an alternative expression of imitation, which is also used to translate the concept of “reproduction”, a synonym of imitation. Although “biaozheng” breaks away from the idea of imitation and attempts to cover both the self-oriented and other-oriented aspects of representation, its classical Chinese connotation and contemporary usage in Chinese scientific and technical papers are not compatible with the original meaning of representation. Since the ancient times, “biaoxiang” has been identified as symbolism, representative and denotation, which can encompass the objectification and action-oriented meanings of representation. Such conceptualization is evidenced in modern Chinese translation practices. Therefore, compared with “zaixian” and “biaozheng”, “biaoxiang” can be viewed as a better Chinese translation of “representation”. Using “biaoxiang” to translate representation can better unlock the theoretical potential of this concept itself and its potential for dialogue with Chinese literary theory. The semantic and translational examination of the concept of “representation” is an attempt to explore an appropriate Chinese expression for foreign concepts through the methods of restoration, interpretation, and accurate naming, thereby seeking the possibility of dialogue and convergence between Chinese and Western literary theories.

For a long time, the academic community has regarded Fan Xiheng's “On Fengge” (published in the September 1957 issue of The Translation) as the authoritative translation of Buffon's “Discours Sur Le Style” (Discourse on Style). However, in the 1958 edition of Selected Works of Comte de Buffon, also translated by Fan, the speech appears under a different title, “On Wenbi”. Based on Fan's other translated works, it can be inferred that “On Wenbi” is the original version endorsed by the translator, while “On Fengge” is highly likely a version revised by the editors of The Translation, who altered the rendering of the key concept “style” from the original text. In Western stylistics, “style” primarily refers to modes of linguistic expression characterized by specific traits, and in Buffon's speech, it denotes a normative and structured mode of writing, that is, a planned and hierarchical form of linguistic expression. Fan's choice of the term wenbi (linguistic form) accurately conveys this connotation. However, when translated as fengge (the personality and individuality of a writer), the concept of “style” is often associated with the dimension of individuality, which can even become the dominant meaning, thereby severely obscuring its fundamental denotation of “linguistic form.” Interpreting the different translations of Buffon's speech as well as the semantics of related concepts not only clarifies many misunderstandings but also allows one to reflect on the theoretical deficiencies of modern Chinese theory of literary style. This, in turn, facilitates a paradigm shift in the study of wenti (literary entity), stylistics, and the study of fengge.

Since the twentieth century, lyric theory has undergone a resurgence in modern Western criticism. Viewing lyric through the lens of modernity, Paul de Man redefines its characteristics by navigating the paradox between historical and modern elements, and the dialectic between grammar and rhetoric. By deconstructing traditional academic perceptions of lyric in terms of the lyric subject, genres, and rhetorics, de Man presents lyric as an allegorical form of rhetoric that rejects a purely empirical subject, transcends temporal constraints, and eludes historical specificity. Although de Man's critical perspective has drawn skepticism, particularly concerning its apparent evasion of history, it nonetheless offers a new trajectory in the field of Western poetics research in the twentieth century.

Gender traits result from the interweaving and co-construction of physiological attributes and social consciousness of gender groups. Masculinity, in particular, represents the transference, extension, or distorted expression of male traits. In the gender narratives of Ming and Qing fiction, there is an implicit intention to construct masculinity. In these works, real and fictional female figures serve as critical mediators for highlighting masculinity, while misogynistic tendencies manifest in various forms throughout the narratives. Fortitude and bravery are fundamental categories of masculinity, but in certain contexts, these traits are prone to transforming into violence, characterized by strong aggressiveness, which leads to moral transgressions. Furthermore, the internal diversity within male groups results in a multifaceted representation of masculinity in Ming and Qing fiction. This diversity is closely linked to the ways in which authors reconstruct masculinity by othering women in different contexts.

As a key concept in digital media art, “interactivity” involves both participation and automation. However, the dominant narrative—shaped by political hopes and technological optimism—has obscured the theoretical potential of the “interactivity” concept for explaining the predicaments of art. Interactive art succeeds where participatory theatre fails because computers avoid performer fatigue and disrupt habitual human patterns through randomness. This reshapes experience and supports experimental artistic environments. In this context, automation has been used to seek aesthetic expression beyond human experience, while “interpassivity” describes how artistic creation and enjoyment can be delegated to machines. Yet fully automated art often leads to breakdown or stagnation, revealing that automation also produces a kind of art fatigue. By framing the human–machine relationship as an interaction between heterogeneous agents, interactivity resists this fatigue of homogeneity. Human significance lies in the capacity to preserve interpretive and active freedom beyond systemic feedback loops, ensuring that experiential difference cannot be fully assimilated into reflexive systems.

By situating Zhou Ji and Wang Guowei within the historical context of learning ci-poetry and ci-poetry studies, this article reexamines the interactions between ci-poetry and its theoretical development. First, they demonstrate different approaches to incorporating authorial intention into the “awakening structure” and the “arousing structure.” Secondly, they inherit and refine the traditional poetics of experiencing objects and emotions by shaping the impassioning process through the centripetal style of the “immersion structure” and the centrifugal style of the “nomadic structure.” Thirdly, they construct the structure of ci-poetry through the duration-oriented “superimposition structure” and the punctum style of “explosion structure,” which integrate reason and emotion and serve as precursors to structural theory. Although Zhou Ji and Wang Guowei occupied different historical positions, representing the old and the new, their development of ci-poetry was shaped by the dual perspectives of learning ci-poetry and ci-poetry studies.

The shift from le plaisir to la jouissance represents a significant transformation within French theory, reshaping traditional philosophy. Sigmund Freud's pleasure theory in the nineteenth century was rooted in Gustav Theodor Fechner's physiological research, which framed pleasure as a form of pleasure pedagogy involving domestication and manipulation. In the twentieth century, among the shift of thought in the cultural era, French theorists’ focus on la jouissance introduced a critical deconstruction of Freud and Fechner's frameworks. While engaging with the concept of pleasure, it turns to the unsatisfied and the lack of pleasure. La jouissance emphasizes dissatisfaction and the absence of fulfillment, advancing a theory of “anti-pleasure”. This conceptual evolution from le plaisir to la jouissance, along with its theoretical lineage, reflects the inversion and development of pleasure theory into its antithesis: “anti-pleasure.” It not only highlights the “implosion” of traditional pleasure theory and its “slippery slope” to anti-pleasure theory but also encapsulates the broader cultural-historical development from the nineteenth century to the twentieth century.