Basic meaning
develop
The literature we are talking about today mainly refers to the relatively important written materials with historical significance, and the broad definition of literature has become all the carriers of recording knowledge. According to the international definition, literature is the carrier of all information.
With the development of society, the concept of "literature" has changed a lot. In addition to ancient books, people also call monuments, antiquities, models, inscriptions and paintings "historical documents". 1984 the definition of "document" in People's Republic of China (PRC) national standard "general rules for document description" is: "document: all carriers for recording knowledge." In this definition, there are two key words: "knowledge" is the core content of literature, and "carrier" is the material shell on which knowledge depends, that is, some artificial solid attachments to record knowledge. That is to say, except books, periodicals and other publications, all Oracle Bone Inscriptions, epigraphy, bamboo slips, rubbings, maps, microfilms, videos, audio-visual materials, etc. Words containing words belong to the category of literature.
For thousands of years, our ancestors have created rich and splendid cultural achievements, which are mainly recorded in the voluminous ancient books and classics. These are classical documents. Among them, the books and materials directly related to a certain subject are the literature of that subject. The basic task of classical philology is to inherit the methods, experiences and achievements of ancient collators, use the viewpoints and methods of historical materialism and dialectical materialism to explore, collect, sort out and study these documents, discard the false and retain the true, research the origin of mirrors, make them known, mastered and utilized by professional workers at all levels in various disciplines, and create new scientific culture on this basis, thus making contributions to all mankind.
function
The role of literature in the development of science and society is as follows: (1) is the final expression of scientific research and technological research achievements; (2) It is the best means to spread information in space and time; (3) It is the basic means to confirm the priority of researchers to a discovery or invention; (4) It is an important index to measure the creative labor efficiency of researchers; (5) It is a means for researchers to express themselves and confirm their position in science, so it is an important incentive for researchers to carry out research activities; (6) It is an integral part of the treasure house of human knowledge and the * * * wealth of human beings.
First of all, literature is an important medium for people to acquire knowledge. Literature is the product of the development of human culture to a certain stage (when it has recordable content and recording tools and means), and it continues to develop with the progress of human civilization. The accumulation, summary, storage and improvement of society and knowledge of nature by human beings are mainly realized through the recording, sorting, dissemination and research of documents. Literature can make human knowledge break through the limitation of time and space and spread for a long time.
Second, the content of the literature reflects the knowledge level of people in a certain social and historical stage; The existing forms of documents (such as recording means, writing materials, composition and communication methods, etc.). ) were influenced and restricted by the development level of social science, technology and culture at that time For example, before the invention of paper, the ancients in China could only make records on Oracle Bone Inscriptions, bamboo slips and silk books; Before the invention of block printing, the ancients could only record documents by hand. However, it was on the basis of the accumulation of experience in the primary and primitive stage of literature that paper and block printing were invented, which made the recording method of literature more convenient, more widely spread and faster. People also learn from literature and contribute to society with knowledge, thus greatly promoting the development of social civilization. It can be seen that the level of social development determines the content and form of literature, and the inheritance, dissemination and creative application of literature react on society and become a powerful factor in social development. Gorky, a famous writer in the former Soviet Union, famously said that "books are the ladder of human progress" is in this sense.
Third, literature is the basis of scientific research. Any scientific research must extensively collect documents and materials, analyze various forms of materials on the basis of full possession of materials, explore their internal relations, and then conduct further research. For example, Professor Needham of Britain spent decades writing a world-famous masterpiece, History of Science and Technology in China, which was written on the basis of a large number of ancient scientific and technological documents in China. Throughout the history of traditional Chinese medicine, all physicians who have made great academic achievements attach great importance to the study of literature. Zhang Zhongjing, a medical sage, is the sixteenth edition of Treatise on Febrile Diseases. Sun Simiao, the most famous doctor in the Tang Dynasty, has been collecting medical literature before the Tang Dynasty for decades, and has successively written A Prescription for Emergency and A Prescription for a Thousand Daughters. Li Shizhen, a great scientist in the Ming Dynasty, "collected hundreds of books on fishing and hunting, including stories, history, classics, biographies, phonology, agricultural gardens, medical astrology, Yuefu schools and other books." "More than 30 years old, 800 books", compiled the immortal masterpiece Compendium of Materia Medica, known as "Encyclopedia of Natural History". According to statistics, he cited more than 900 kinds of documents directly and indirectly. They are all examples of studying and utilizing ancient documents. For example, the modern research on the basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine and the modern research on ancient diseases, syndromes, treatments and prescriptions are all based on the collection, collation, analysis and study of classical medical literature.
To sum up, literature is very important for the progress of human civilization and society. Regardless of ancient and modern times, anyone engaged in scientific research needs to rely on relevant literature. Classical literature plays an increasingly important role in the modern research of many disciplines, and people pay more and more attention to it. I believe that in the modern information society, classical literature will play a greater role by making full use of modern scientific and technological means.