"文学是什么"与"什么是文学"--兼论文学研究与文学史研究的对象和方法

"文学是什么"是文学界一直关心并力图加以解决的问题.然而,这一问题在文学研究领域和文学史研究领域,其意义和价值是有所不同的.文学研究应该注重理论创新,大胆地回答"文学是什么",以推动文学思想的发展;文学史研究则应该讲求实事求是,小心地考察"什么是文学",以描述文学发展的本来面貌,20世纪有关研究的经验教训给予我们许多启发.中国文学史研究与文学研究都多少有些模糊了自己的研究对象,都多少采用了一些本该主要由对方所采用的研究方法,使得文学研究缺乏足够的理论创新,而文学史研究又多了一些主观的成见.如果我们能够将研究对象和研究方法适当做一些分理,鼓励文学研究者大胆进行理论创新,而不止于阐释前贤,同时也鼓励文学史家更多地尊重古人,而不要强迫古人服从自己,文学领域的学术研究面貌也许会有新的改观.

"What is Literature" & "What does Literature Refer to"

What does literature refer to" is always a problem that literary circles show great concern upon and try to solve. Nevertheless, this problem sees different meanings and significances in the fields of literary research and the research o literary history respectively. In literary research, to promote the development literary thoughts, people should focus on theoretical innovation and be encouraged to give a bold answer to "What does literature refer to". By contrast, the research should be based on the principle of seeking truth from facts, and "what is literature" should be carefully investigated that an ultimate expression of the original outlook of literary developments could be found. Some concerned experiences on literary research give us much enlightenment. The research of literature and literary history more or less exchange their own subjects mutually so that the literary research lacks theoretical innovation and the latter is streaked with some subjective biases. Academic researches in literary field will take on a new look if some suitable work on subjects and researching methods has been sorted out. And also, the literary researchers are encouraged to do bold innovations not only to explain the predecessors.Meanwhile, the historians are encouraged to respect ancients instead of imposing their opinion on their own..