Classic Work Research Articles

Friedrich Engels’s view on theoretical thinking: innovative application by the Communist Party of Vietnam in the reform process

Marxism-Leninism has become a widespread ideological foundation that is consistently and firmly pursued by the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in its leadership orientation for national development. This research aims to explore and identify the distinctive issues in Friedrich Engels’ theoretical thinking regarding the formation of theoretical thinking based on practical experience, the close relationship between theoretical and scientific thinking, materialist dialectical thinking and mastering the scientific principles of philosophy. These orientations have become methodological guides for the CPV to apply to its leadership activities. This research was conducted based on the analysis and synthesis of available sources, with the main sources being the Marx-Engels Collected Works and some classical works written independently by Friedrich Engels, along with a synthesis of related studies. The results indicate that Friedrich Engels’ theoretical thinking has been studied, supplemented, developed, and creatively applied by the Communist Party of Vietnam in the renovation process in Vietnam, especially since the CPV initiated the renovation policy in December 1986. To date, Vietnamese socialist theory continues to be supplemented by Friedrich Engels’ theoretical thinking, which in his time had not been able to be experimented, contributing significantly to the development of the CPV’s theoretical understanding of political, economic, cultural, and social leadership, becoming an important guiding tool for the CPV to firmly lead the implementation of the renovation policy. Friedrich Engels’ theoretical thinking also holds important value in the struggle against erroneous, eclectic, dogmatic, and mechanical views on human perception and practical action.

Analyzing Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains from a Pictorial Perspective

From the perspective of iconography, this paper presents an in-depth analysis of Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, a classic work of traditional Chinese landscape painting. This work has been highly respected since the Tang Dynasty and is regarded as one of the important representatives in the history of Chinese painting. Its rich connotation and artistic value have always been the focus of scholars' research. The thesis aims to deeply interpret the historical and cultural connotations and artistic symbolism embedded in Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains through the iconographic method, from the levels of ex-iconography, iconography and iconographic analysis, to reveal its important position and value in Chinese traditional art. Adopting the iconographic method, the analysis is divided into three main levels. First, through pre-imaginative analysis, we focus on the physical facts and visual representations on the surface of the work; second, we use imaginative analysis to explore the information of the specific objects in the work and explore their connections and themes; and finally, we carry out imaginative analysis to reveal the deeper historical and cultural connotations and symbolic meanings of the work. Through in-depth iconographic analysis, Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains demonstrates the core values of traditional Chinese landscape painting, presenting a fusion of natural landscapes and humanistic emotions. It is not only a work of art, but also a vivid expression of traditional Chinese culture and aesthetics. The findings of this dissertation will contribute to a better understanding of the profound historical and cultural connotations embedded in Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, as well as its important position and value in the history of Chinese art.

Citation classics on distance and online learning: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify seminal research works on distance and online learning that have had significant impact on the domain. Design/methodology/approach The authors used the SCOPUS database for this study as the data source, and a well-defined search strategy retrieved the items for analysis. First, the authors identified the h-index (n = 207) of the discipline to determine the threshold for listing the top works. The authors critically analysed these classic publications using several bibliometric parameters to present the analysis. To understand the primary focus of the classic research works, the authors also carried out a keyword cluster analysis using VOSviewer. Findings While the USA produced maximum classic research, authors from Canada have maximum research visibility in terms of citations (n = 474.06). Canada also received the highest value of RCI (1.30), followed by Taiwan and Australia. The majority of the classics are published in 67 scientific journals. Of these, Computers and Education published the highest number with a quarter of the total citations (n = 19,403). Although e-learning was the nucleus of the research theme, the authors observed that students, learning systems, online learning, blended learning, learning management systems and computer-aided instructions dominated their influence in the research cluster. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first of its kind work in the field of distance and online learning. Findings of this study would be useful to faculty, researchers and students in the discipline to focus on the seminal works and understand their implications better in the context of the growing significance of the discipline.

An exploration on the Cultural Loss in the Translation of Camel Xiangzi from the Post-colonial Perspective

Chinese literature Camel Xiangzi, written by Lao She, has exerted a vast influence among overseas readers. Through the study, we found that despite Evan Kin’s excessive domestication and rewriting in his translation, his version still achieved great success in the United States at that time, which violated the literary and cultural value of the original work and constituted cultural hegemony to some extent. It is a pity that a classic work has become a tool for pleasing natives and that the cultural elements in it have been lost to varying degrees, partly to the point of exhaustion. Based on cultural dimensions such as language, religion, and society, as well as the characterization of the protagonist Xiangzi, this paper explores the phenomenon of cultural loss in Kin’s translation in terms of post-colonial theory. Moreover, we also recommend that translators attach great importance to having a responsible translation ethic, protecting cultural diversity, and advocating to restore the regional, linguistic, and cultural traits of the source language as originally as possible.

Entanglement in ( 1+1 )-dimensional free scalar field theory: Tiptoeing between continuum and discrete formulations

We review some classic works on ground state entanglement entropy in (1+1)-dimensional free scalar field theory. We point out identifications between the methods for the calculation of entanglement entropy and we show how the formalism developed for the discretized theory can be utilized in order to obtain results in the continuous theory. We specify the entanglement spectrum and we calculate the entanglement entropy for the theory defined on an interval of finite length L. Finally, we derive the modular Hamiltonian directly, without using the modular flow, via the continuum limit of the expressions obtained in the discretized theory. In a specific coordinate system, the modular Hamiltonian assumes the form of a free field Hamiltonian on the Rindler wedge. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

The Ambiguities of Translation: Fuseli, Blake, and the Making of Aphorisms on Man

Johann Caspar Lavater’s Vermischte unphysiognomische Regeln zur Selbst- und Menschenkenntnis (1787) is a classic work of Enlightenment thinking that entered English circulation with a split identity. Published as Aphorisms on Man in 1788, it was brought before an English audience through the printmaking skills of William Blake and the agency of Lavater’s childhood friend Henry Fuseli. However, Lavater might well have recalled the saying “Traduttore, traditore” (Translator, traitor). Fuseli had not failed to close the lexical gaps between the German and the English. Rather, his ideas had transformed the work, from its ambiguous frontispiece through to its concluding lines—​interventions that challenged Lavater’s claim to authorship of the book. If the usual stories told about Aphorisms on Man describe the volume as a “product of friendship” or a “labour of love,” I turn this convivial alliance on its head to suggest that a closer look at its behind-the-scenes production reveals a different narrative, one that pivots on rivalry as much as collaboration.

Paradoxical Luxury in the Sint Maarten’s Property Market

This article outlines the concept of ‘paradoxical luxury’ derived through an ethnographic exploration of Sint Maarten’s high-end real estate market. Classic works analyzed luxury goods as markers of status and their consumption playing a role in reinforcing social stratification. More recent work points to the allure of luxury consumption as predicated upon references to heritage, tradition, durability, and quality as selling points while also serving older functions of display and stratification. The luxury concept has also been influenced by more recent concerns among consumers about issues such as sustainability. This study, however, reveals a luxury real estate market through which the ability to display status remains unclear as well as lacking key defining elements of luxury such as heritage and quality. Further, the cycle of repeated destruction of these properties due to seasonal hurricanes present a form of luxury that challenges the traditional views of the concept. As such, the marketed exclusivity and perceived value of properties are directly confronted by their vulnerability to natural disasters, sub-standard building quality and inferior local infrastructure, as well as lax regulatory framework. The concept of paradoxical luxury underscores the contradictory nature of luxury in this setting.

Diminished Chinese feminine monstrosity: the transformation of femininity and monstrosity from Chinese game Gujianqitan 3 to its fanfiction

ABSTRACT Chinese videogames and fandoms have emerged as significant arenas for the representation, reproduction, and contestation of femininity. This article delves into the portrayal of a female monster in the Chinese single-player role-playing game Gujianqitan 3 and explores how fans recraft this representation in their fanfiction. The videogame introduces a female monster, Yun Wuyue, playable in select scenes. Her representation aligns with Kristeva’s abjection, but it goes beyond Creed’s the monstrous-feminine, frameworks frequently invoked in discussions of female monsters. By drawing connections to other Chinese folklores, classic literary works on monsters, and the monstrous-feminine, the article introduces a novel construct – Chinese feminine monstrosity. This term emphasizes that the monstrosity of female monsters does not originate from their exaggeratedly sexualized bodies, but rather from their beautiful human disguises, deceitful and lethal tendencies, and their transformative bodies that evoke abjection. However, Yun’s Chinese feminine monstrosity is diminished in both the game narratives and gameplay due to Yun’s free choice of allying with men, rendering her less of a threat to the patriarchy. Fanfiction further reinforces this disempowerment by stripping of her monstrosity, transforming it into a manifestation of postfeminism. This transformation is elucidated in the context of the burgeoning influence of postfeminism in China, established fanfic conventions, and players’ understandings of representation in the game and their wishes to inherit this representation in their fanfics. Thus, the article contributes to the ongoing discourse on the transformation of ideologies in game fanfiction, shedding light on the complex interplay between representation, empowerment, and cultural shifts.

Moral rights and the protection of classics: A study of §51 in the Swedish Copyright Act of 1960

This article examines §51 of the Swedish Copyright Act 1960, generally known as ‘the protection of classics’ in relation to international discourses on copyright in the mid-twentieth century. The provision in §51 protects works of cultural significance by deceased authors and artists against reproductions that are considered offensive, even if the works are in the public domain. This article analyses the arguments and motives that led Swedish legislators to draft §51 and contextualises them internationally. The origin of the protection of classics is rooted in the notion of a paying public domain, a provision which existed in various countries in the twentieth century that allowed the state to collect royalties for works in the public domain. In Swedish copyright law this economic right was reinterpreted as a moral right to protect classical works. Unlike conventional moral rights, this right aimed at protecting the interests of the public rather than the integrity of the author. The protection of classics, and to an extent the notion of a paying public domain, can be seen not so much as a regulation of intellectual property but more as a statement about cultural heritage. By showing how the protection of classics operated within the international discourse on copyright law of the twentieth century, this article explores the relation between moral rights, a paying public domain and cultural heritage.

Retelling: a New Genre or an Insufficiently Investigated “Old” Notion?

The article focuses on the phenomenon known as “retelling”. The mass reader, both domestic and foreign, perceives retelling as one of the neterature genres. The word “retelling” is borrowed from the English language. According to the English-language publications concerning retelling, in modern mass consciousness this concept corresponds, on the one hand, to the methods of borrowing and processing plots, known in European culture since antiquity, on the other, to a system of primary and secondary features, reproduced in mass literature texts. However, neither American nor British literary criticism knows such a genre. Foreign literary critics use the term “adaptation”, which implies one type of the text transformation: from a literary work to a theatrical production or film. Russian researchers apply the term “adaptation” to the alterations of classical literature for theatre, cinema, television and computer games. Although in the English language culture retelling is perceived as a new, recently emerged phenomenon, the first authorʼs adaptations of classical works appeared at the beginning of the 19th century. The collection of stories “Tales from Shakespeare”, written by Charles and Mary Lamb can be considered the first example of a “retelling” adaptation. The “Preface” to the stories contains the principles, formulated by the authors. According to the given principles they reworked Shakespeareʼs plays for childrenʼs reading. These principles fall under both the concept of “retelling” and the concept of “adaptation”. The research shows that though “retelling” is perceived as one of the characteristic features of modern culture, this phenomenon existed as a conscious way of creative working with text for at least two centuries. This phenomenon is not a genre, but a set of techniques for transforming a text, a still insufficiently studied universal of literary creativity.

Translation of Earthliness: An Exploration of Translation Dislocation of Folk Language in Chin P'ing Mei in Late Ming Dynasty within the Framework of Aesthetic Reception

As the first full-lenght satiric novel, Jin Ping Mei (Chin P'ing Mei), written by Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng at the end of the Ming Dynasty, elaborates the social and worldly affairs comprehensively through vivid language and skillful usage of literary devices. Due to the richness of the folk language for the language forms, and the differences and great colloquial and regional characteristics to the Western readers in the geographical and time facets, for the purpose of reception in the target culture, the translator gives adjustment or modification to folk languages forms like dialect, slang, idiom, and proverbs, etc., which engenders certain translation dislocation to some extent. Through qualitative and comparative analyses, this paper aims to offer a preliminary exploration of the basic paradigm, causes, and construction process of the translation dislocation of the folk language in those two English translation versions of Jin Ping Mei from the four dimensions of readers' expectation horizons, aesthetic distance, integration of horizons, and the construction of respond-inviting structures under the perspective of aesthetic reception theory, so as to provide an avenue for English readers to delve into the peculiar translation dislocation of the folk language in the translation of Chinese classical works.

(Des)caminhos dos clássicos abaixo dos trópicos

Our objective with this research note is to communicate the initial results of the research project “(Mis)paths of the Classics below the Tropics: Production and Circulation of Editions of Classical Works in Brazil.” This note is essentially organized into two parts. In the first part, we will briefly present the planned stages of our research project and the documentation used as primary sources of information. In the second part, we will showcase the initial results of our investigative work. In addition to primary sources, we have utilized the following works as theoretical tools: Febvre; Martin (1958); Eisenstein (1983); McKenzie (1986); Chartier (1995); Johns (1998), Villalta (1999), Martins (2001), Abreu (2003), Abecasis (2009) and Vianna (2019).

The Motif of the Road in Russian Literature

The article is devoted to the study of the motif of the road and road adventures in Russian literature. The purpose of the article is to study the specifics of the artistic and documentary embodiment of the motif of the road, road accidents in the works of Russian classics, as part of the general socio-cultural context of modern literature. The subject of the study are works made in the genre of travel (wanderings) and representing the most diverse forms of artistic solutions to the motif of the road. The object of the study was the ideological, thematic and genre-style diversity of the works of Russian literature of wanderings, comprehended through the prism of the motif of the road, road adventures. Descriptive, comparative-typological and analytical methods were used. The data obtained during the research determines the practical value of the work.

The modern methodological conceptions and the development of anglo-american economics in the 20th century

Purpose: The aim of this article is to reconstruct the basic methodological assumptions that are relevant to contemporary conceptions of the science of economics developing in English and American literature during the 20th century. Methodology/approach: The paper aims to outline the logical structure of scientific theories in economics, which determines the objectivity of this science. Theoretical testing of hypotheses is performed by referring to more general and higher theoretical knowledge. Findings: The prevalence of utilitarian attitudes described in the article, which limit economic cognition to cost and profit calculations and economic processes to activities around profit maximisation, promotes the instrumentalisation of the norms and principles of this science, and indirectly indicates the absence of other autonomous values besides profit. Practical implications: Making the starting point in this article expressed in the work of British and American classics writing in the twentieth century demonstrates that they were moderate and flexible thinkers, as the structure of their theories reflects the changes that occurred in the leading methodological currents of the time. Originality/value: In every epoch of the development of the science of economics, there are concepts that consciously need to be guarded against variability (e.g. the concept of truth) and to strive to ensure that methodological concepts form as coherent a scientific belief system as possible.

La renovación conceptual de la conciencia de clase, la revolución y la violencia: reflexiones a propósito de la actualidad de la obra de Georg Lukács

One hundred years after the publication of History and Class Consciousness, it is imperative to revisit the classic work of Georg Lukács to discuss the relevance of his ideas in a world where the capitalist mode of production does not cease to show its devastating effects. To do so, we divide the article into two sections. In the first part, we place Lukács’ work in dialogue with that of Hegel and Marx in order to clarify the status of violence as an ontological condition of history, allowing us to determine the theoretical-practical framework from which social revolution can be conceptualized. In the second section, we analyze Lukács’ notion of class consciousness not as a historical fatality but as an act of self-determination of the proletariat. We compare this proposal with the current situation of gentrification of the proletariat which, far from invalidating the Hungarian author’s proposal, constitutes its reversal and the platform for its actualization. Ultimately, it is about the proletarian still today taking control and becoming, through class consciousness, the subject-object of history. We conclude by reinterpreting Lukács’ terms in a practice that counters a reactionary position in order to combat both the reactionary movements and the hedonistic immobilism of the proletariat.

Ideas of physical education of the younger generation in works of classic writers of Russian literature of the XIX - early XX centuries

The upbringing of the younger generation as one of the urgent socio-cultural problems of mankind described in the works of thinkers of Antiquity, the Renaissance and Enlightenment by foreign and domestic authors of the 19th-20th centuries. In the paradigm of the upbringing of the younger generation the emphasis is on a comprehensively developed personality that embodies the unity of the spiritual, intellectual and physical principles. The subject of research is the ideas of physical education of the younger generation, reflected in the storylines of the works of art of the Russian literature classics. The purpose of the study is to actualize the ideas of physical education reflected in the works of Russian classics of the 19th - early 20th centuries, in the context of the problem of harmonious personal development. The used methodology of the interdisciplinary approach determines the inclusion in the study of an analysis of examples from the works of L. N. Tolstoy, A. P. Chekhov, I. A. Bunin, A. I. Kuprin, G. I. Uspensky, V. V. Nabokov, etc. illustrating the reflection of the phenomenon of physical culture and sports in Russian literature. The author concludes that the texts of works of art reflect an understanding of the positive impact of physical education and sports on the comprehensive harmonious development of the individual, and therefore the experience of the past can be considered as positive. In educational institutions of prerevolutionary Russia, as well as in noble families, the issues of physical education and the development of the younger generation were of great importance in the formation of the need for a healthy lifestyle, active leisure, and health promotion.

Signs of instrumental music of the Classicism era in a Ukrainian choral concert of the second half of the 18th century

The purpose of the research is to highlight the processes of introducing the principles of European instrumental music in the choral works of Ukrainian composers of the second half of the 18th century. The following research methods are used in the work: analysis, comparison, and synthesis. The research uncovered the following: features of the choral concerto as a genre; stages of its design and development in Ukraine; structure of choral concerts; the nature of the reflection of the principles of classicism in the works of Ukrainian composers; the embodiment of the features of the sonata form and cyclic structure inherent in the works of the Viennese classics in Ukrainian choral music (on the example of works by M. Berezovsky and D. Bortnyansky); aspects of the influence of national (folk-song) sources and ancient choral traditions on the genre of the sacred concert in the works of Ukrainian composers.

Denoising for balanced representation: A diffusion-informed approach to causal effect estimation

Estimating individual treatment effects with observational data is crucial in causal inference. While it faces two major challenges: the absence of counterfactual outcomes and selection bias due to non-random assignment and intervention of confounding variables. This paper specifically addresses these by quantifying the distribution shift between the treated and control groups from a generative view to achieve balanced representation and then predict causal effects. We propose a novel method called Denoising for a Balanced Representation in Treatment Effect Estimation (DBRT). Motivated by the aim to generate analogous distributions in the Diffusion model, which aligns with our goal of achieving similar distributions in the latent space, our approach considers the divergence between the treated and control groups as’noise’ that needs to be removed incrementally. We then construct a network to fit and then denoise it step by step, ensuring a consistent reduction of discrepancies between the two groups. Additionally, to enhance the representation of input features, we incorporate memory vectors into the attention mechanism to capture prior information and combined correlations between covariates. Furthermore, we utilize the Hilbert–Schmidt Independence Criterion (HSIC) within the loss function to constrain the learned representation, ensuring its relevance to the original data. DBRT has demonstrated superior performance on different datasets compared to previous classic works, highlighting its effectiveness in treatment effect estimation.

A Comprehensive Examination of the Association Between the ACE2 Gene with the Susceptibility to COVID-19 and the Occurrence of Diabetes Mellitus

Background: The rate of transmission, as well as the risk of death associated with COVID-19, is significantly higher than that of previous epidemics. Among the underlying health conditions frequently observed in affected populations, diabetes stands out as one of the most prevalent. Individuals with diabetes who contract Covid-19 face a heightened risk of disease progression compared to those with other conditions. Materials and Methods: A case-control study was implemented to assess biomarkers using classical lab work procedures and genetic markers using congenital PCR, then the association between ACE2 gene, COVID-19 and Diabetes Mellitus were implemented. Results: The analysis of the ACE2 (ID; DD) group revealed statistically significant differences between the groups. However, the II as well as I groups did not demonstrate any notable differences. The chi-square method employed, with a p-value set at < 0.05, indicating statistical significance. Among the manage organization, those with covid-19 , and humans with diabetes plus covid19, the ACE2 D genotype was the most common genotype, accounting for 72.6%, 85%, and 54% of the full population, respectively. After this, the DD, ID, and I genotypes have been applied to the samples. Conclusions: The ACE2 D genotype showed significant prevalence in COVID-19 and diabetes populations, while the II and I genotypes showed no notable differences, highlighting ACE2 D’s potential importance

Literarnodidaktične paradigme in najpomembnejša literarna besedila pri pouku književnosti na slovenskih gimnazijah

The article presents the results of a survey conducted among Slovenian language professors in high schools, indicating a predominant emphasis on the cultural-literary didactic model that aligns with the systemic didactics of literature. Subsequent results are related to the model of personal growth, corresponding to the reception didactics of literature. The article then provides an overview of the literary texts considered by Slovenian language professors as the most important for study in high schools, primarily focusing on classic literary works by Slovenian and foreign authors.