Abstract:

There are many ways for modern prose theory to absorb classical resources, among which "discovery" and "retroactive recognition" are two particular ones. "Discovery" means to "re-dig" prose works and doctrines which were paid little attention after evaluating them with modern concepts of "pure literature". "Retroactive recognition" means to retroactively approve some concepts, essayists, prose theorists, and the value and status of some prose works and doctrines. "Retroactive recognition" means to "date back to ancestors" in cultural psychology so as to justify one's own theory with the "evidence in the past". Taking the essays in the late Ming Dynasty as the example, prose theorists "recognize" both forward and backward. "Retroactive recognition" is a kind of "cultural naming". Each "retroactive recognition" is a revaluation of the recognized and a "rewriting" of literature history. However, "retroactive recognition" suffers from the obvious disadvantage of "covering" the truth of literature history to some extent.

Key words: "discovery", "retroactive recognition", modern prose theory, classical resources, cultural naming