Abstract

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Keywords:: academic history of Zuo Zhuan; disputes over authenticity; literary-or-historical dispute; Confucian classic-or-historical dispute

Abstract:: The modern and contemporary studies on Zuo Zhuan are still a continuation of the disputes arising at the turn of the 20th century and in particular of that about whether the book was the pseudonymous work of Liu Xin or not. During the period of the Republic of China, the focus was on the authenticity of Zuo Zhuan, and then was extended to the discussion of such basic issues of the book as its genre, authorship and time of production. During the 30 years before the founding of PRC, due to the marginalization of the classics, the academic circle gradually entered into the discussion about whether this Chinese classic was a literary work or a history book and most scholars regarded it as a historical work. After the Cultural Revolution, the core issue of the study on Zuo Zhuan turned into whether it was a Confucian classic or a historical work. After 1980, the research method showed a tendency of “transcending the ancient era” and at the same time some of the excavated documents such as Mawangdui Chunqiu Shiyu caught the attention of scholars. Since the beginning of the new century, academic thoughts have become more diverse, and the research perspectives more rigorous and thorough. The literary and cultural researches on Zuo Zhuan have also become increasingly vigorous.