Professor You Zhansheng was born in Linyixian, Shandong Province, in 1973. He was a student (undergraduate and graduate) in the School of Literature of Shandong University from September 1991 to July 2001, graduating, successively, with a BA in Chinese Language and Literature, and his MA and Ph.D (both in the field of Literature and Art.) From August 2005 to December 2010, Dr. You pursued postdoctoral research in Foreign Philosophy at the Postdoctoral Research Circulation Station in Philosophy of Shandong University. From January 2011 to January 2012, he furthered his studies and research work as a Visiting Scholar in the Department of Philosophy at Columbia University in the United States. He is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Literature, and in the Research Center for Literary and Artistic Aesthetics, of Shandong University. He also serves as Associate Director of the Institute of Literary Theory Research, and is a Thesis Advisor for MA students in the major of Literature and Art. Professor You’s primary fields and areas of both teaching and research are: Literary Theory, Literary Aesthetics, The History of Western Aesthetics, Modern Western Aesthetics, and Marxist Aesthetics.

Professor You’s major publications include the following:

Monographs and edited publications

1. The Evolution of, and Controversies Relevant to, Fundamental Theories and Concepts of Literature in the New Era, People's Publishing House, 2019. (Participating editor.)

2. An Overview of Online Literature and Art, Shandong Education Press, 2014. (Co- Executive Editor.)

3. The Cost of Popularity: A Study of the Frankfurt School’sCritical Theory of Popular Culture, Shandong University Press, 2006. (Sole author.)

4. Art and the Liberation of Humanity, Shandong University Press, 2005. (Associate Chief Editor.)

5. Literary Theory in the West, a textbook for the Ministry of Education under the aegis of the National Project of Marxist Theory Research and Construction. Higher Education Press, 2014. (Participating editor.)

6. AHistory of the Scholarship in Chinese Literary Aesthetics, Changchun Publishing House, 2010. (Participating editor.)

7. The Significance of Aesthetic Education, Capital Normal University Press, 2006. (Contributing writer.)

8. A Curriculum of Literary Aesthetics, Higher Education Press, 2005. (Participating editor.)

9. The Dimensions of Literature, Shandong University Press, 2003. (Participating editor.)

10. Studies on the Fundamental Issues of Literary Aesthetics in the Modern Perspective, Qilu Shushe Publishers, 2003. (Participating editor.)

11. Biographies of Thinkers and Philosophers in the Field of Aesthetic Education in China and Abroad, Guangxi Normal University Press, 2002. (Participating editor.)

Major scholarly papers and journal articles

1. “Reflections on the Controversies in the Theory of Literary Production in the New Era”, Hundred Schools Review, no. 2, 2016

2. “Acceptance and Misreading: The Frankfurt School’s Theory of Popular Culture in China”, Social Sciences in Shandong, no. 10, 2011

3. “Recent Progress in Ecological Aesthetics and Environmental Aesthetics Research”, Literary Aesthetics Studies, vol. 5

4. “Several Kinds of Awareness in Literary Studies”, The Chinese Graduate Student, no. 8, 2010

5. “Post-Enlightenment and the Crisis of Critical Cultural Theory: Also On the Reconstruction of the Legitimacyof Criticism”, Social Sciences in Shandong, no. 3, 2009

6. “Misunderstanding, Misjudging and Misconstruing: On the Misunderstanding of Western Aesthetics on the Part of Modern Chinese Aesthetics”, Social Sciences in Shandong, no. 1, 2008

7. “Non-cultural and Anti-Popular: The Frankfurt School's Critique of Popular Culture”, Academic Journal of Shandong University, no.6, 2007

8. “The Frankfurt School's Critical Theory of Popular Culture and the Construction of Contemporary Culturein China”, Studies in Marxist Literary Theory, vol. 14

9. “Electronic Media and the Characteristics of Contemporary Media Art”, Humanistic Writings, vol. 7

10. “Theoretical Innovation in Advanced Culture Theory”, Wenyibao, August 31, 2004. (Principal author)

11. “The Frankfurt School on the Ideological Nature and Function of Popular Culture”, Literary Aesthetics Studies, vol. 3

12. “Making Life Artistic: The Core Concept in Zhu Guangqian's Thought in Aesthetic Education”, Seeking Truth, no. 5, 2003

13. “Popular Culture and Psychological Control”, Social Sciences in Shandong, no. 5, 2003

14. “The Modern Value of Rousseau's Thought on Aesthetic Education”, Adult Education in China, no. 9, 2003

15. “On the Development of Comparative Literature Studies as an Academic Discipline”, Academic Journal of Shandong University, no. 4, 2003

16. “The Frankfurt School's Critique of the Popular Culture of Advanced Capitalism”, Journal of Theoretical Studies, no. 3, 2003

17. “An Overview of the International Symposium on Aesthetics and Art Education”, Wen-Shi-Zhe (A Journal of Literature, History and Philosophy), no. 1, 2003

18. “A Brief Discussion of Methodology and [Hans-Georg] Gadamer's Hermeneutical Aesthetics”, Social Sciences in Shandong, no. 2, 2001

19. “Literary Studies and Natural Science Methods”, Academic Journal of Shandong University, no. 4, 2000

20. “On Rousseau's Thought on Aesthetic Education”, Literary Review, 1999 “Young Scholars” Special Issue

21. “Aesthetics and the Sensory Existence of Human Beings”, Social Sciences in Shandong, no. 1, 1997

Professor You has undertaken and participated in the following major research projects:

1. Studies of the Ecological Dimension of the Aesthetic Modes of Thought of the Frankfurt School. A research project sponsored by the National Foundation for the Social Sciences. Supervisor, 2019-2024

2. On the Development of On-line Literature and Art. A Key Research Project in the Study of the Arts sponsored by the National Foundation for the Social Sciences. Participant as a member of a topical research group, 2016-2020

3. On On-line Literature and Art. A Key Research Project sponsored by the Shandong Province Social Sciences Planning Commission. Supervisor, 2014-2016

4. Marxist Literary Theory and the Construction of Contemporary Chinese Literary and Artistic Values. A Major Research Project of the Ministry of Education’s Research Base in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Supervisor of one of the sub-projects, 2016-2020

5. The Evolution of, and Controversies Relevant to, Fundamental Theories and Concepts of Literature in the New Era. A research project sponsored by the National Foundation for the Social Sciences. Participant as a member of a topical research group, 2010-2016

6. Literary Theory in the West. One of the Ministry of Education’s First Group of Key Projects in Textbook Material Compilation in Philosophy and the Social Sciences for Colleges and Universities, under the aegis of the National Project of Marxist Theory Research and Construction. Participant as a Principal Member of a topical research group, 2009-2012

7. On the Influence of Western Marxist Cultural Criticism Theory on the Development of the Field of Literary and Artistic Studies in China in the New Era. A Level-1 FundingProject of the Chinese Postdoctoral Science Foundation.Supervisor, 2008-2012

8. On the Relationship between Western Marxist Cultural Criticism Theory and the Development of the Field of Literary and Artistic Studies in China in the New Era. A research project sponsored by theMinistry of Education’s Foundation for Promoting Young Scholars’ Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Supervisor, 2008-2012

9. On the Influence of Marxist Concepts of Literary Aesthetics on the Construction of Contemporary Chinese Literary Theories. A research project sponsored by the Shandong Province Foundation for the Social Sciences. Number 2 Investigator, 2005-2008

10. A History of the Scholarship in Chinese Literary Aesthetics. A Major Research Project of the Ministry of Education’s Research Base in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Participant as a Principal Member of a topical research group, 2004-2008

11. A Curriculum in Literary Aesthetics. A “Tenth Five-Year Plan”Textbook Material Planning Project under the aegis of the Ministry of Education.Participant as a member of a topical research group, 2003-2004

12. On Determining the Status of Literary Aesthetics as an Academic Discipline, and Its Developmental Trend. A Major Research Project of the Ministry of Education’s Research Base in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Participant as a member of a topical research group, 2002-2005

13. On the Foundational Theories and Systemic Framework of Literary Aesthetics, A Major Research Project of the Ministry of Education’s Research Base in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Participant as a member of a topical research group, 2001-2003.

Professor You has won the following major academic awards and prizes:

· The Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award of Shandong University

· The Liu Xie Prize for Literary Criticism, Shandong Province

· A Level-3 Prize for Outstanding Achievement in the Social Sciences, Shandong Province

· The Award for Emerging New Talent in the Academic Disciplines in the Social Sciences, Shandong Province.

Professor You offers the following courses:
For Undergraduate students:

· A History of Western Academic Thought

· Modern Western Aesthetics

· Guided Readings in Zhu Guangqian's Writings on Literature and Art

For Graduate students:

· Special Topics in Classical Western Aesthetics

· Special Topics in Modern Western Aesthetics

Contact information:
Mailing address: School of Literature, Shandong University, 27 Shanda South Road, Licheng District, Jinan City, Shandong Province, China, 250100
Email address: yzs@sdu.edu.cn