中國學術傳統中，《山海經》是一本難以導致單一定論的典籍。歷來不少說法由多種觀點來詮釋《山海經》。19世紀末在中國學術界出現「神話」概念以來，《山海經》詮釋為神話文本。「神話」也是各家說法不同的概念，不過至今19世紀末的故事性為主神話觀仍然影響於《山海經》詮釋。於是，本研究脫離故事性為主的神話觀，將《山海經》看作一種宇宙認識的表徵，透過對《山海經》表現形式的內在結構考察，試圖重新理解《山海經》的宇宙認識與其表徵特徵。
於是，本研究透過理論與文本的考察，試圖詮釋《山海經》宇宙認識與敘述的特徵。在本論文的第一章緒論，介紹研究動機與背景以及前人研究成果，由此提示本研究的問題意識的基礎，接著設定研究範疇與研究方法。
在第二章〈神話概念與《山海經》的語言形式〉，根據緒論所提示的理論基礎，關注神話概念的性質與語言形式，而檢討作為詮釋《山海經》理論基礎的「神話」的有效性。於是，在第二章探索外來概念「神話」的詞源與中國學術界的接受。由此確認「神話」的本旨與接受之間的概念上差距，探討作為《山海經》詮釋框架的故事為主神話概念的問題與反思。進而，透過關於《山海經》的語言形式的考察，尋求適合詮釋《山海經》的神話概念。
在第三章〈《山海經》篇章結構與敘述方式的象徵〉，根據第二章的考察與從歷來經籍分類可發現的《山海經》的性質，探討《山海經》文本的性質，進而根據其篇章結構確認《山海經》文本中所內涵的宇宙認識與象徵敘述的概觀。
在第四章關注〈山經〉考察《山海經》的宇宙認識與象徵敘述。〈山經〉基於「國用」的觀點，透過其語言形式、敘述方式、篇章結構等的部分表現關於宇宙與物類的認識體系。於是，在第四章從〈山經〉的語言形式歸納出敘述範圍的空間認識、個體敘述方式、分類體系的觀點上特徵，進而試圖理解〈山經〉的宇宙認識與象徵敘述。
在第五章對〈海經〉集中考察宇宙認識與象徵敘述上特徵。〈海經〉的宇宙認識不只擴張其認識的範疇，並且轉換認識宇宙與世界的觀點。 比起〈山經〉，〈海經〉超越我國的範疇，從較客觀的角度敘述異邦奇物的特徵。〈海經〉的宇宙認識基於劃分自我與他者的境界認識，〈海經〉的篇章結構、個體敘述表出如此的境界認識。透過〈海經〉的文本考察，在第五章確認〈海經〉的宇宙認識上特徵及敘述體系上其認識的表現樣態。
在第六章考察〈大荒經〉的宇宙認識與象徵敘述。空間性為主的〈山經〉與〈海經〉的宇宙認識與敘述形式比起，在〈大荒經〉的認識上較顯出基於空間性的時間認識。以「日月出入」為代表的天體相關記載與神和族群的系譜內涵時間性的因素，以〈大荒四經〉與〈海內經〉組成的〈大荒經〉的認識與敘述體係表出內涵時間性的宇宙認識。在第六章根據〈大荒經〉文本的篇章結構與敘述方式探討〈大荒經〉宇宙認識的特徵與其表現形式。
在第七章為結論歸納〈山經〉、〈海經〉、〈大荒經〉的宇宙認識及其表現形式上的特徵，綜合組成《山海經》的三層認識與表現體系。由此，試圖重建《山海經》的宇宙認識的立體性與其表現形式的象徵性，進而探究《山海經》宇宙認識與象徵敘述的特性 。

In Chinese academic tradition, Shanhaijing(a.k.a. Classic of Mountains and Seas) is a documents which difficult to reach a clear definition all about that. Traditionally, there are many attempts to interpret Shanhaijing from various points of view. Since late of 19C presented conception of myth on Chinese scholarly tradition and sinology field, Shanhaijing was interpreted as a myth text. Even though there are as many definitions of myth as researchers, however narrative oriented concept of myth was a major interpretation of Shanhaijing. This research tries to break away from narrative oriented concept of myth and intepret Shanhaijing as a representation of cosmology. For this interpretation, this research investigate representations of Shanhaijing’s inner structures.
Based on theoretical explanation and text investigation, this research tries to interpret cosmology and description styles of Shanhaijing. In Chapter 1: Preface, this paper introduces research motive, background of the study and reviews precedent research about Shanhaijing and mythology. From these researches, this paper presents this research’s basis of problematic and sets research boundary and methodology.
In Chapter 2: Conception of myth and language style of Shanhaijing, this research tries to confirm valid of myth as a theological basis for interpretation of Shanhaijing. Chapter 2 investigates concept of myth which came from western and Chinese academic tradition’s acception by focusing on conception of myth and description style. From these investgation, we confirm the differences between the original meaning of myth and acception. In addition, we would debate on valid of narrative oriented concept of myth as a frame of Shanhaijing interpretation and from study of Shanhaijing’s description style investigate valid concept of myth for interpretation of Shanhaijing.
In Chapter 3: Shanhaijing’s text structure and symbolic description, based on investigation in Chapter 2 and Chinese traditional academic classification, debate on text properties of Shanhaijing, and then overview cosmology and symbolic description of Shanhaijing text.
In Chapter 4: Symbolic Structure of Shanjing, focusing on Shanjing(a.k.a. Classic of the Mountains), cosmology and symbolic description of Shanhaijing. Based on country usage, Shanjing presents episteme about a relationship between cosmos and things with describing styles and text structures. In Chapter 4, special cognition of descriping boundary, description of things, properties of classification are induced through text investigation. Based on these invesigations we would understand cosmology and symbolic description of Shanjing.
In Chapter 5: Symbolic Structure of Haijing, focusing on Haijing(a.k.a. Classic of Regions Beyond the Seas), investigates cosmology and symbolic description. Cosmology of Haijing does not only mean expansion on the cognition’s physical boundary but also means episteme shift about universe and world. Compare Haijing with Shanjing, Haijing objectively describes characters of foreign country and mystical things beyond own country’s episteme. Haijing’s cosmology is based on partitional cognition which distinguishes self and others. Through text investigation of Haijing, we approach to understand cognition and representation of Haijing episteme.
In Chapter 6: Symbolic Structure of Dahuangjing, we would explore episteme of Dahuangjing(a.k.a. Classic of the Great Wilderness). It is more distictive than Shanjing and Haijing that Dahuangjing’s cognition of time based on space. descriptions about celestial body represented with Sun and Moon’s rise and set, and genealogy of god and ethnic group imply factor of temporality. Episteme and describing structure of Dahuangjing combined by Dahuangsijing(a.k.a. Four Classics of the Great Wilderness) and Hainaijing(a.k.a. Classic of Regions Within the Seas) imply factor of temporality. In Chapter 6, we would investigate cosmology and episteme of Dahuangjing by analizing text and structure of Dahuangjing.
In Chapter 7: Conclusion, we would integrate episteme, cosmology and representation of Shanjing, Haijing and Dahuangjing. Hereby, we would try to reconstruct Shanhaijing cosmology and episteme’s multidimension and symbolism of representation. From this, we try to understand Shanhaijing cosmology and symbolic description.