Spectacle as Methodology

HU Fanzhu

（National Research Center for Discourse Ecology， East China Normal University， Shanghai， 200062）

Abstract： The contemporary society has become a society of the spectacle. What is spectacle？ What does it do？ Why spectacle？ Spectacle is the figurative form composed of features and frames produced by the subject in a performative play and evokes positive feelings and affect. Here， \"spectacle\" not only means \"image\" but also a holistic system consisted of image， viewer， the viewing progress， and the viewing context. Taking spectacle as a methodology， we can examine our community， society， history， global governance， and even ourselves. We can not only read the neighborhood landscape through readable architecture but also the film and television landscape where watching is creating， the linguistic landscape where symbols are society， the sports landscape where sport is narrative. We could realize that it is an \"all-media\" era and \"all-landscape\" world， and it requires the construction of an analysis model that unifies here and there， the present and the future， and \"scenario-landscapevision\". An accommodable， pleasant scenario is the core of social governance， a well-recognized landscape is the key to national governance， and the vision of a poetic life is the strategic goal of global governance and the construction of the community of common destiny for mankind.

Keywords： social landscape； readable architecture； film and television landscape； linguistic landscape； sports landscape； landscape feature； frame； scenario-landscape-vision

Integration and Intergrowth： The Cultural Landscape of the Grand Canal and its Path of Practice

MAO Qiaohui

（Institute of National Literature， Chinese Academy of Social Sciences， Beijing 100732）

Abstract： As a world cultural heritage， the Grand Canal has attracted the attention of the public and that of scholars from various fields. The Grand Canal connects the North and the South， the cultures of different areas and of different nationalities. Grand Canal studies must be based on the Grand Canal region to better understand the communication and exchange of cultures. In the conservation of cultural heritage in the Grand Canal region， the cultural landscape is enriched and developed but not homogeneous. The transformation of the cultural landscape is both creative and consumptive and can be categorized into types such as from practical to functional， functional while symbolic， and the integration of being practical， functional and symbolic.The cultural landscape in the Grand Canal region is not stand alone but a complementary， intergrown， interactive integration. Studies on it shall start from here to better understand the similarity shared by the cultural landscapes in the region and the harmony of people-land-water. The construction and practice of the cultural landscapes of the Grand Canal region shall be people-oriented and strive to find the path to a complementary， intergrown， varied integration.

Keywords： Grand Canal region； cultural landscape； interactivity； intergrowth

Moral Killers and Thought Experiments： The Reversed Logic from \"The Wandering Earth\" to The Dark Forest

LI Xiangping

（School of Social Development， East China Normal University， Shanghai 200241）

Abstract： \"Science fiction starts at the end of morality\" could be described as the foundation of Liu Cixin’s works and is vividly presented in his works including \"The Wandering Earth\" and Remembrance of Earth’s Past. If， for the Westerners， the end of morality is God， then what is it for the Chinese？ Is it science fiction， technology， capital and power， or some sacred symbol symbolizing the Chinese people and nation that acts as a self-proving sacred moral agent who serves as a messiah or an alienated moral killer？ This question not only involves a problem of whether human civilization is worth saving and how to save it， a reinterpretation of Liu’s works， but also a rethinking of the problems of the Chinese modernity.

Keywords： Liu Cixin’s works； moral killer； The Dark Forest； moral agent mentality

The Non-Exist Philosophy in Remembrance of Earth’s Past

XU Yingjin

（School of Philosophy， Fudan University， Shanghai 200433）

Abstract： The philosophy of Liu Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past assumes that 1） the resources in the universe is limited， 2） human nature is evil across the universe， and 3） technology explosion could be achieved by sacrificing humanitarian values. Assumption 2 and 3 are intertwined because the sacrifice of humanitarian values means the failure of ethics. Yet according to Kant， whether the resources of the universe is limited is agnostic and cannot be proved. From the perspective of evolutionary ethics， at least for Earth life， ethicality does enhance the biological adaptability of species， hence ethicality is inherent in the evolution of higher life （and， according to most experts on evolution， extraterrestrial life）. From the standpoint of Marxism， advanced productive forces is associated with advanced social systems， which， in turn， means advanced ethics （which can also apply to extraterrestrial civilizations）. Therefore， the core assumptions of Remembrance of Earth’s Past are in conflict with the mainstream philosophical theories today.

Keywords： core assumptions of Remembrance of Earth’s Past； philosophical analysis； dark forest hypothesis； The Art of War

Communication is Civilization： Media and Communication in and out of Remembrance of Earth’s Past

DENG Jianguo

（School of Journalism， Fudan University， Shanghai 200433）

Abstract： Remembrance of Earth’s Past is a science fiction series about communication（s） or\"cosmic communication\". Environment， medium， body， communication， and the social existence all contribute to the problem of communication between the human beings and the Trisolarans， which is also an extreme example of the problem of communication between the human beings. The plot of Remembrance of Earth’s Past and its cross-culture， cross-media success prove from different perspectives that media and communication were， are， and will be crucial.

Keywords： Remembrance of Earth’s Past； medium； communication； body； interpretive community； problem of communication

Apocalyptic Anxiety， Self-Dimension Reduction， and the Symptoms of an Era of Spiritual Poverty： Reflections on the Cultural Phenomenon of Remembrance of Earth’s Past

XIA Deyuan

（College of Communication and Art Design， University of Shanghai for Science and Technology， Shanghai 200093）

Abstract： The discussion around Liu Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past， \"Wandering Earth\" and related works has become a cultural phenomenon. It reveals a social psychology that needs attention. Remembrance of Earth’s Past is a commercial success， yet Liu’s worldview， outlook on life， and values conveyed through his works and interviews depart not only from traditional Chinese culture but also the spirit of community of common destiny for mankind. These concepts based on apocalyptic anxiety echo with the shared spiritual poverty of Liu’s fan community and form a mentality that can be called \"self-dimension reduction\". In a sense， it is more important to examine and reflect on the cultural phenomenon of Remembrance of Earth’s Past than to study its market value.

Keywords： fandom of Remembrance of Earth’s Past； apocalyptic anxiety； spiritual poverty； selfdimension reduction； novels as fables； taking sides in an argument

The Ten Heavenly Stems in Oracle Bone Script and Their Origin in Astrology

YIN Rongfang

（Department of General Education， Shanghai Customs College， Shanghai 201204， China）

Abstract： According to Chinese mythology， Cang Jie and others were inspired by “the traces of birds and beasts” and thus created Chinese characters. This “traces of birds and beasts\" does not refer to those on earth but those in the sky. The Ten Heavenly Stems in oracle bone script are symbols of the ten seasonal months of the year and imitation of constellations including Gui， Qixing， Jiao， Kang， Di， Wudizuo， Xuanyuan， Niu， Xu， Wei， Shen， and Jing. These constellations are either in or around the Zodiac， unlikethe Twelve Earthly Branches which take their symbols from the constellations at the beginning of the new moon. Therefore， the creation of The Ten Heavenly Stems and the Twelve Earthly Branches are influenced by astronomical observation， the making of the calendar， and the names of seasonal months. Oracle bone script should be the invention of “the tellers of the secrets of the sky”， or the astronomers， and its main characters should be created by some individuals and then prospered in a shortperiod of time rather than as a result of long-term development.

Keywords： oracle bone script； origin； Ten Heavenly Stems； traces of birds and beasts； horoscope

Critical Thinking about the Hot-debated ChatGPT： Warning against Information Tools Used for Cognitive Confrontation

XU Xin， LIU Weichao

（Department of Information Management， Faculty of Economics and Management， East China Normal University， Shanghai 200433； Department of Intelligence and Reconnaissance， China Coast Guard Academy， Ningbo 315000， Zhejiang）

Abstract： ChatGPT， an intelligent information tool， can be used for not only processing facts but also subjective cognitive confrontation. This article analyzes the latter’s possibility from the perspectives of technology and politics and examines its potential functions and influences from perspective including a） the connecting function that reconstructs human-computer interaction， b） the portraying function that analyzes its target users， c） the digging function that improves the capability of generating confrontation content， and d） the labor-saving function that improves information delivery capability.

Keywords： ChatGPT； cognitive confrontation； artificial intelligence

The Chinese Cinema during the 2023 Spring Festival： Observations and Revelations

CHEN Xuguang

（School of Arts， Peking University， Beijing 100080）

Abstract： The box office of the 2023 Spring Festival was $6.758 billion， showing people’s firing enthusiasm for cinema. In general， the Chinese cinema during the 2023 Spring Festival was rich in genres and well-performing in terms of box office and quality. It features the sustainable and diversified development of the New Mainstream movies， the growing demand for \"youth-oriented\" imagination consumption， and the advantages of series movies and branding， while showing problems and shortcomings. The experience of the Chinese cinema during the 2023 Spring Festival is revealing and inspiring for the future development of Chinese cinema.

Keywords：the Chinese cinema during the Spring Festival； New Mainstream； sci-fi movies； imagination consumption； film series； film industry aesthetics

A Book on the Changing Aesthetics and Tensions in Production of the New Era Film and Television： The Blue Books of Chinese Film and Television as a History of the Changing Culture， Aesthetics， and Art Production

FAN Zhizhong， ZHANG Minghao

（School of Media and International Culture， Zhejiang University， Hangzhou 310030）

Abstract： The Blue Books of Chinese Film and Television （2017-2023） is a historical summary of Chinese film and television， reflecting the changes in the industry’s culture， aesthetics， and production logic. In recent years， Chinese film and televisionfocus on realism， make various attempts in demonstrating the mainstream discourse， exploring the New Mainstream grand narratives and its representations for the younger generation， the New Mainstream historical/current narratives， and the New Mainstream warm realist narrative and its realization within the system. In terms of aesthetics， Chinese film and television try to extend the historical aesthetics of costume drama on the foundation of historical artifactsand aesthetic archetypes and form \"new woman\" narratives such as \"girls help girls\" and disciplinary narratives， reflecting a trend towards the fusion of film and games in television and film production as well as aesthetics.

Keywords： The Blue Books of Chinese Film and Television； New Era film and television； aesthetic changes； production strategy

Cultural Democracy and Spatial Justice： The Cultural Spatial Governance of Square Dancing

LIU Yanwu， LIU Zhihan

（Party School of Sichuan Provincial Committee of C.P.C， Chengdu 610017； School of Marxism， Sichuan University， Chengdu 610207）

Abstract： Square dancing builds up a cultural space that is distinctively Chinese and an important social space for today’s society. Analyzing the social-political nature of square dancing as a social movement helps us to take a comprehensive look at the social structure of China’s modernization. The emergence of square dancing has a profound historical background. The production of space by square dancing is deeply connected to our time and life experience. Square dancing is an important social action that expresses political implications and cultural democracy. The governance of the cultural space of square dancing is to establish a democratic and just idea of square dancing space governance. To build an integrated mechanism of square dancing space governance， a consensus-oriented dialogue mechanism， a power-constraining public participation mechanism， a market-regulated， capitalguiding-and-balancing mechanism， and a public self-motivation mechanism shall be built. The paths of square dancing space governance path include square dance space environment governance， square dance space security governance， square dance space industry governance， and square dance space behavior governance. The lack of publicness is a problem of Chinese social governance. The construction of publicness and self-management by square dancers could be seen as an exploration to establish a self-regulated civil society.

Keywords： square dancing； cultural space； cultural democracy； spatial justice； publicness

Two Decades of Game Studies and the Latest Trends in Game Studies

HAN Zhenzhen

（Zhejiang Academy of Culture Tourism Development， Hangzhou 310008； Tourism College of Zhejiang， Hangzhou 310008）

Abstract： In 2001， Game Studies published \"Computer Game Studies， Year One\"， an article setting the tone for and marking the beginning of game studies. Two decades later， game studies has established itself as a significant academic field within social studies， cultural studies， and art studies， while Game Studies has made itself an academic forefront of the field. This article analyzes the papers published in Game Studies during 2021-2022， highlights the hot topics in game studies including narratology， psychology， philosophy， and game studies itself. With the world becoming a cyberspace， it’s high time to gain insights into it through game studies.

Keywords： game studies； game narrative； game and psychology； game and philosophy； game and sociology； identity； time