With “On the Study of Ci in the Qing Dynasty from the Perspective of the Study of Jing” as its topic, this dissertation observed the way that the intellectuals in the Qing Dynasty who had the background of the study of Jing employed the refined and exquisite language of Ci to convey their messages and expressed their feelings concerning their encounters in life and the spirit of the era and probed into their treatises on their relations with groups and the society by analyzing data such as the literary works of Ci, prefaces and postscripts, and critiques on Ci and poetry. The Qing Dynasty was called the renaissance of the study of Ci and Jing, the blending of which could be seen from the intellectuals, so this author drew on this as a point of departure and followed this thread of thought to conduct his research in the hope of shedding some new light on the study of Ci in the dynasty. This dissertation fell into two parts. The introductory chapter outlined the research questions and reviewed previous pertinent studies, as well as presenting the methodology and the organization of this dissertation. The main body of this dissertation consisted of seven chapters, as follows:
Firstly, in “statecraft-the background and spirit of the Ci circle in the Qing Dynasty,” this chapter discussed the mentality and behavior of the intellectuals in the Qing Dynasty from the perspective of the social development and academic history. It was suggested that the spirit of the era varied with the status quo, shifting the focus from the central to the local and ethical order from respect to harmony. Thus, the study of Ci in the Qing Dynasty also exhibited strong regional features and the trend of emphasizing the cohesion of clans and in-groups.
Secondly, in “realism-the principle of textual criticism and the ability to assess a man’s character and capability in the critical analysis of the study of Ci in the Qing Dynasty,” this chapter mainly analyzed how literary works were discussed in terms of realism in the Qing Dynasty, when textual criticism prevailed and the importance of the ability to assess a man’s character and capability had been stressed since the Qin Dynasty. It was found that the seemingly objective dialectics tended to bear readers’ pre-judgments on an author’s life and involve their projection of their personal experiences into their interpretation.
Thirdly, in “practical use-the perspective of the study of Jing and the study of Dao Qi and Zheng Bian in the study of Ci in the Qing Dynasty,” this chapter cited the theory of “Chi Hua Liu Xing” in the study of Yi in the Qing Dynasty to corroborate the relations between the status of the linguistic forms of Ci and the evaluation of its norm and variants. Dao was interdependent on Qi, and so was the relation between Zheng and Bian: without the chronological evidence, the development of the linguistic forms of Ci, differences in style, and representative writers and literary works of Ci, it would not be possible to draw a demarcation line. Zheng was not necessarily exhaustive, and Bian did not denote fragmentation, with no need to use one to inhibit the other. Seemingly opposing accounts were just what commentators proposed to respond to different situations that they themselves were concerned about.
Fourthly, in “focus on meaning-the relations between the construction of semantics of Ci, meaning and analogy,” this chapter examined the role that objects played in the language (of a literary work) and inner feelings (of an author) when Bi, Xing and Shuo were put back into the framework of Yan, Xiang and Yi in the study of Yi and Chun Qiu. Take Zhang Hui-Yan for example. People of later generations argued that Zhang gave a far-fetched interpretation and undoubtedly purposefully emphasized the interdependence between objects and reality, ignoring his reservation in his tone. In fact, Zhang’s contribution was not to propose a soundly conceived theoretical framework, but to reason by analogy and draw on sensory descriptions to leave more room of imagination for objects. It also merited our note that Zhang Hui-Yan and people of the Chang-fraction like Zhou Ji and Tan Xian also interpret Ci from the readers’ point of view.
Fifthly, in “neutralization-the treatises on temperament, courtesy and justice behind the norm of the study of Ci,” this chapter pointed out that in the Chinese tradition of music and education, the ideal state of the body, the mind and the home country lies in the harmony between the body, the linguistic forms of Ci and the country. When the authorities, whether purposefully or not, interfered in personal expressions of feelings, the instinctive feelings that echoed the status quo and an individual’s life were constrained by the norm set by the rulers accordingly. The restoration of ancient culture and emphasis of meter became the embodiment of the intellectuals’ self discipline.
Sixthly, in “advocacy of grace-the philosophy of resentment and ambition shown in the literary works of Ci on the writers’ encounters in life,” this chapter discussed how the intellectuals adapted themselves to adversity spiritually and ethically. It explored the relations between the tradition of expressing resentment and the study of Ci and examined how the intellectuals re-found their self subject through the eyes of others and the formation of self images by creating literary works of Ci from a microcosmic perspective. Also, it discussed whether there were any other ways for the intellectuals to comfort themselves and settle down when their chances for taking up an official post were slim.
Seventhly, in “satirizing-the critique-oriented tradition of the study of Jing and the writings of the history of Ci that reflected reality,” this chapter aimed to expound how the intellectuals used literary language to depict their feelings and describe their current situations in the environment of ethical disorder when they faced oppression-filled reality and life-changing moments. In addition, the idea of the history of Ci blossomed in the Qing Dynasty, authenticating that the writings of the history of Ci were not merely limited to satires on politics and education and literary works that concretely referred to historical events. Although the writings of the history of a writer’s mental state and the society from an individual’s cognitive perspective were not objective enough, usually full of descriptions of personal sufferings, they reflected the truth that was much clearer and more touching than reality.