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Reformulating, Rewriting: Forms and Dynamics of Commentary in the Chinese Tradition Workshop, 1-2 April 2026 Paris (France)
➜ Submit your proposal before September 15 See below
Argument and Call for Papers The Chinese tradition of commentary, at some points concerned with establishing a definitive meaning (zhengyi 正義), is continuously renewed as it evolves alongside knowledge, audiences, and the demands of transmission. As readers’ expectations shift, commentators adopt creative strategies to explain and transmit texts, influencing broader writing practices. In this chain of textual circulation and transformation is found the confirmation of Charles Sanders Peirce’s (1839–1914) insight that “a sign is not a sign—in the linguistic sense—unless it translates itself into another sign in which it is more fully developed.” Across historical periods and epistemological domains, commentary takes diverse forms that go beyond simple glosses to include reformulation and rewriting. In the Classics, literature, and history, texts are reinterpreted through new texts or forms (images, performative arts), which renew their meanings and reorient their intentions. Under the Tang, Kong Yingda’s commentaries to the Classics rewrite, expand, and repurpose those of his predecessors. On the one hand, he updates the language, reaffirming certain interpretive frameworks through intralingual translation made necessary by linguistic evolution. On the other hand, he transforms the very rhetorical model of commentary by integrating and articulating previous commentaries in an argumentative discourse. Henceforth, commentaries thus ensured the transmission of earlier commentaries—whose importance they reaffirm—while at once embodying a new, inherently argumentative form. The sciences provide an example of how similar stakes play out contemporaneously in a diversity of circumstances. Certain domains have “Classics” (medicine, mathematics, omenology), others do not (mathematical astronomy), and each genre is more or less sensitive to contemporary reality and technical progress. The result is that, where there is a desire to bring canonical texts into dialogue with today’s needs, the strategies vary from commentary and critical curation to the direct rewriting of older texts. During the Ming, the public—eager to get to grips with history and politics—gravitates toward novelized narratives that also serve as commentaries on current events. These stories answer and refute one another, gaining authority and a place for themselves in the commentarial chain. More broadly, the emergence of new readers in the premodern era—particularly examination candidates—spurred innovative methods for reading and understanding classical, poetic, narrative, and historical texts. The concept of “reformulation” at the heart of this workshop rests on two main ideas:
For example, in medieval poetry, “imitation” (ni 擬) creates interconnected networks of poems that respond to one another and reflect the world of the literati. This poetry is at once an aesthetic, political, and social practice. It also reveals the evolution of prosody, foreshadowing Tang poetic language, while remaining thematically anchored in its own time. Discourse analysis—poetic in this case—begins with an examination of the reformulations at work, and it is then enriched by historical and contextual study. There is an infinite variety of ways that our historical subjects revisit and transform earlier texts. In this dynamic, several salient features will be the focus of our attention: Language The evolution of language—often perceived unconsciously—breeds fear that the original meaning of texts may be lost, inspiring their reformulation in the light of current knowledge, historical context, and the linguistic competence of a given society. Such reformulations respond to lexical change, diglossia, or the need to retranslate into a more modern language, particularly with the rise of vernacular languages. Historical Stakes Historical change calls for commentary that re-adapts cherished texts to preserve their relevance and usefulness via recontextualization or modernization. For example, a text like the Classic of Changes can be transformed into an ethical or alchemical guide to align with a new philosophy. The question of fidelity to the original meaning can then take on paradoxical forms, as commentary may lead to a kind of displacement, involving the interplay of different discursive dynamics. Discursive Techniques Textual knowledge evolves alongside new discursive techniques adapted to audience expectations, emerging practices, or shifting intellectual contexts (such as the influence of religions). The relationship between author and reader changes, often to make texts more accessible and engaging. Rewritings incorporate details, personal perspectives, or appeals to experience to bring meaning closer and make it comprehensible. The accumulation of knowledge encourages this diversification, and narratives enriched with details and varied registers transform historical or administrative documents into more performative texts. Education and Pedagogy While the culture of commentary is central to the education of the elite, it is by no means limited thereto. A variety of educational approaches incorporate unconventional techniques, like performance or storytelling, to make a textual heritage accessible to a wider audience. These processes can reshape a text so profoundly that the image that they create of a text becomes more influential than the original. Change in Status Reformulation and rewriting alter the status of texts by incorporating new discourses and bodies of knowledge. Commentary redefines meaning, draws attention, and establishes legitimicy—whether by preserving the importance of a Classic or reviving a neglected work. Commentaries can also promote new types of texts (such as vernacular novels in the seventeenth century), thereby expanding the scope of critical expression. Texts thus form complex networks rather than a strict hierarchy between original and derivative works, challenging the very notion of anteriority. These changes are closely tied to questions of power and authority.
Thematic categories for proposals The workshop is open to all types of texts and approaches, covering all periods of Chinese history. Proposals may address, but are not limited to, the following themes:
Timeline Please be advised that participation in this workshop requires the submission of a finalized manuscript or a comprehensive, detailed draft. Submitted texts will be circulated among participants and subject to in-depth discussion led by a designated discussant. Each individual presentation, inclusive of discussion, is allocated a duration of 45 minutes. Key Deadlines:
How to submit a proposal First you need to create an account: ➜ Top right > Login > Create account Then click on New submission in the left-hand menu. On New submission, page 1, note that your proposal must include a short bio at the end. Your proposal, including short bio, is limited to 400 words. Add a few key words (mandatory). If you encounter any difficulties, please do not hesitate to write to us: ➜ Menu > HELP > @ Contact |
