ABSTRACT
This chapter is a case study of Wang Guowei as part of the origin of comparative literature in China, since his greatest contribution is that he navigated a major turning point in Chinese literature, which is the shift from utilitarianism to anti-utilitarianism. Wang reaffirmed literature’s most solemn purpose: to inquire into the soul, to answer the fundamental questions about the real purpose of life, and to help people alleviate suffering. This chapter concludes that Wang’s approach is neither traditionally Chinese nor traditionally Western, as can be seen from his pursuit of the “trueness” and fundamental principles of literary criticism.
