Literary Virtue: A Moral Cornerstone of Chinese Literary Theory

Abstract Literary virtue is a foundational concept in classical Chinese literary theory, which places great value on the personal morality of a writer. After a brief introduction to the origins of the term, this article notes how literati, in their capacity as officers of the state, were held to strict moral standards while, at the same time, in their capacity as writers, often sought to break free of moral constraints, leading to a common slogan that “literati lack morals.” The next section demonstrates that critics who emphasized literary virtue created a clear hierarchy with morality first and literariness second, though they often had different ideas about what this meant. Some prioritized practical skills in governance, others emphasized not being “vulgar,” others aimed for a consistency between inner nature and outer emotional expression, and still others, especially in later periods, called attention to poetry by “men of ambition” who expressed concern for the state during times of crisis. Subsequently, this article calls attention to a nineteenth-century theory of literary virtue that runs counter to the traditional moralizing norms of historiography. Finally, the conclusion offers a comparative reflection on the evaluation of writers by their moral actions in the West, including the “cancel culture” phenomenon.