There have been many arguments about the origin of literature, among which there are many viewpoints, such as witchcraft, religious creation, game creation and labor. Although the first three viewpoints are supported by famous sages at home and abroad, the historical materials are inevitably biased. I pay more attention to supporting the labor theory about the origin of literary activities. The labor theory of literary origin is not only supported by famous writers and historians at home and abroad, but also has a series of rationality. And make a simple exposition here.
First of all, the subject of literature is people, not other animals or plants. And Engels said:? Labor is the first basic condition of all human life, and it has reached such a level that we have to say to some extent that labor creates people themselves. ? In other words, literature is created by labor. Without labor, there would be no literary behavior. Plekhanov discussed many things in his famous book Letters Without Addresses? Labor precedes art? For example, his main point is: There is a causal relationship between the development of art and the development of productive forces, although it is not always directly related. ? As an art, literature means that labor exists before literature, and the important origin of literature is labor.
Secondly, primitive art is produced in labor for the needs of labor. Primitive people used various special sounds to express different meanings in order to exchange information during labor, and then gradually formed language, which is the need of labor exchange. Not only the language, but also the original music to ease the boring work. Today, many folk songs, rock music and other music are created according to people's different emotions when they are engaged in different jobs. There is a passage in Huai Nan Zi Dao Ying Xun: If this husband raises a big tree, is it before? Evil promises? After, also should be. This move emphasizes the song of strength. ? This obviously contains the meaning that literature and art are the products of the labor process. Without labor, these corresponding arts would not have been produced.
Third, labor is the main content of literary description. Philosophically, matter determines consciousness. As a material life, labor determines the content of spiritual literature. Life and work stimulate people's creative enthusiasm, and literature always reflects people's living conditions. There is no literature completely divorced from life and work. For example, sympathy for farmers is a direct description of labor and reflects the hardships of labor? At noon in summer, the sun is very hot, farmers are still working, and beads are dripping into the soil. ? In Bai Juyi's Charcoal Weng? Nanshan cuts wood and burns charcoal, with gray sideburns and black fingers. Poor clothes, worried about charcoal, complaining about cold? It is also because I saw Tan Weng's hard work that I expressed sympathy for Tan Weng.
Fourth, labor restricted the early literary form. Early literature and art were mostly a trinity of poetry, music and dance, which was closely related to the characteristics of the labor process. People's labor movement and hunted animals gradually evolved into dances, and slogans issued during labor developed into poems. The rhythm of these slogans is the original musical inspiration of primitive people. Different labor characteristics make people form different literary forms.
The significance of labor theory is that the occurrence of literature is closely related to people's daily life. However, I think the real origin of literature is people's practical activities. Labor is only an important origin of literature, not the only origin, because practical activities are diverse. Labor theory sublates other theories of origin, and integrates the correct viewpoints of other theories of origin into itself, which reflects its correct side after integration. To sum up, labor theory is an important source of literature.