Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the origins of the term in the West from etymological and philological perspectives. It seeks to discover the relationship between the keywords in Western literary criticism and the reconstruction of Chinese literary criticism. The book analyzes its various meanings and core elements, including the extension of its connotations in different cultural contexts, and summarizes their distinctive features. It discusses the relationship between the keyword and the reconstruction of Chinese literary criticism, probes into the relevance of the word from the West to traditional Chinese culture, and offers some theoretical reflections. The book provides as much relevant information as possible, especially on the important views of the representative figures who put forward and lead the study of a specific keyword.