GOETHE'S ACCEPTANCE IN CHINA IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Du Guoying, Cong Rui

Goethe is one of the greatest writers in the history of world literature. In the late Qing Dynasty, Li Fengbao wrote "The Diary of the Emissary of Goethe" in 1878, which made the Chinese people know Goethe for the first time. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that Chinese scholars began to study Goethe. Most of them come from a German major and are based on a Chinese cultural perspective, while also taking into account various research paradigms in the German academic community. In their dialogue with foreign cultures, they explain Goethe's creative ideas and characteristics. This paper combs the research and acceptance of Goethe by two generations of Chinese scholars in the first half of the 20th century, highlights the main ideas and trends of Goethe research in Literary criticism, and lays a foundation for future generations to understand Goethe's creative heritage.

Keywords:Goethe; Goethe studies; Chinese scholars; Artistic characteristics; Philosophical thought