Abstract: As a peak in the 20th century Chinese l iterature, Shen congwen’s greatnes slies in his philosophical meditation on human nature. He believes that man is an organic whole composed of “animal nature” and “divine nature”, and that as a writer, one should abide by the principle of this “common reason” and create literay works that , besides being true and beautiful, help people aspire after goodness. This article expounds on ShenCongwen’s philosophical meditation on human nature from the angles of “animal nature” and “divine nature” of man and analyses the internal elements which lead to his success in literay creation.

Key words: Shen Congwen, man, philosophy, meditation