Communications in Humanities Research
- The Open Access Proceedings Series for Conferences
Vol. 21, 07 December 2023
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Existentialist philosophy has exerted a profound and extensive influence on contemporary society, extending its impact beyond the domain of philosophy to significantly shape the arts, including literature and cinema. This paper adopts existentialist theory as its primary analytical framework, employing methodologies such as textual analysis and comparative research to provide a concise examination of how existentialist concepts and perspectives, notably those pertaining to “Absolute Freedom,” “The Others,” “Absurdism,” and “Humanism,” have influenced and integrated with Chinese science fiction novels. The primary objective of this research study is to delve into a selection of recent Chinese science fiction novels that have garnered prestigious awards and exhibited significant international influence. Through a thorough examination of the works authored by these award-winning writers, this research seeks to elucidate the overarching traits and thematic elements within Chinese science fiction that have been influenced by existentialist philosophies. This research endeavor not only offers an avenue for delving into the philosophical underpinnings that inform Chinese science fiction but also provides a scholarly lens through which we may attain a more profound comprehension of the humanitarian essence that permeates these literary works.
existentialism, Chinese literature, science fiction, comparative literature
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The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.
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