Abstract:In The Origin and Development of Chinese New Literature, Zhou Zuoren divides literature into the schools of carrying doctrine and expressing aspirations, and describes the changes of the history of Chinese literature by the ups and downs of the two schools. Qian Zhongshu, Zhu Guangqian and other critics believe that Zhou Zuoren’s division is based on the thought and emotion of literary. In fact, the standard of Zhou Zuoren’s division is the difference between being for himself and being for others. In view of Zhou Zuoren’s ideas that the new literature movement is the revival of Gong’an School and Jingling School in the late Ming Dynasty, some critics such as A Ying, Chen Zizhan and Xu Jie either regard the new literature as the literature carrying doctrine to cut off the connection with the literature of expressing aspirations school in the late Ming Dynasty, or explain the cause of the new literature from the social and economic aspects. The fundamental difference between Zhou Zuoren and his critics lies in whether the essays express aspirations or carry doctrine. Zhou Zuoren abandoned the humanism and humanitarianism in "human literature" and respected individualism. He regarded revolutionary literature as the literature of carrying doctrine and obeying orders, so he turned from "traitor" to "hermit". Lu Xun, A Ying and other left-wing scholars advocated the militancy of essays, realized the possibility of intervening in the times and society, and thus wandered in the "crossroads".