Abstract: Western modern thoughts must be indigenized when they come into Chinese modern literary theory.When the aesthetic modernity of anti-enlightenment rational was brought into the field of enlightenment,independent spirit and non-utilitarianism of literature aesthetic were endowed with utility color.Shen Congwen advocated the independence of literature and art.Furthermore,he explained and protected self-discipline character of literature and art in the way of emphasizing literature aesthetic form,whereas,emphasis of the aesthetic independence and aesthetic forms finally falls onto the aesthetic of human life.In other words,the issue of aesthetic and life are combined in this way,and life salvation is obtained through ways of aesthetic.He advocated “divine nature” of aesthetic idealism to deny phenomena of realistic secular survival,philistine and mammonism,and in this way to achieve the ideal of aesthetical survival.

Key words: Shen Congwen, literature theory, aesthetic modernity, independence, form, salvation