Abstract:

The issue of China in Western literary theories forges a stimulating field for the exchange of ideas and cultures between China and the West, which not only reflects the Chinese image from a transcultural perspective, but also contributes greatly to promoting East-West dialogue and mutual learning. Both of the “aesthetics of diversity” constructed by Victo Segalen and the cultural view of “pluralistic symbiosis” advocated by Francois Jullien are important paradigms concerning the interpretation of China in Western literary theories. By challenging the previous methodology driven by exotic curiosity in Western literary tradition and reinterpreting the connotation of the term “exotic”, Segalen has developed an aesthetics of diversity, which praises the beauty of multicultural differences. His theory has surpassed and criticized colonialism. By emphasizing the cultural value of diversity, Jullien has developed a systematic approach of dialogism, which aims not to identify the “difference”, but to use the “distance” between Chinese and Western cultures to carry out “external deconstruction” and “circuit-entry”, which promotes the paradigm of seeking “pluralistic symbiosis” to become a method of explaining China. This development from “aesthetics of diversity” to “pluralistic symbiosis” indicates a paradigm shift in studying China in French literary theories, which has opened up the new possibility that the issue of China can become a potential force for knowledge production and theoretical innovation across the globe.

Key words: “aesthetics of diversity”, pluralistic symbiosis, Victo Segalen, Francois Jullien, dialogue between China and the West