In pre-May-4th days, the development of
literary conception in our country continued under the influence of modernity, a
reflective and critical modern awareness. Owing to different receptions of modernity and miscellaneous effects of exotic perceptions of art and literature, modernity of
literary conception was a different picture in the eyes of different persons. Some called for criticizing the feudal dynasty to develop a nation-based political-
educational literature. In contrast to the former, some were objected to the political-educational tradition by advocating a pure literature as a relief to satisfy one’s desire for life, believing in the view of play by “self-discipline” and “he-discipline”. Some introduced “aestheticity”, taking literature as decribing human life in appreciating the beautiful. Some maintained the literary spirit of fighting, regarding literature as something “non-use for use”. And others called for using literature for leisure by giving the fullest display of its recreational function. Different as they were, all these literary views discussed “human life”. In fact, they offered different implications, which showed the different orientations and different aspects of modernity. They introduced great numbers of modern academic terms which were to become part of modern theory of literature in our country and continue to be used today.