he functions of 文 (WEN) within Chinese traditional culture

A mediological analysis

Abstract

Helped by insights from mediology, this article explores the concept of 文 (Wen) within Chinese traditional culture. The first section explains how the notions of transmission/mediation are useful in order to understand that Wen plays a number of mediological roles in the modern language. Considering the features of the Chinese script, the second part discovers etymological clues that such roles are potentially present in the earliest paleographic testimonia available. Next, the third section surveys how Wen became lexicalized in the classical period of Chinese thought, arguing that Confucius’ usage of that word elicits four mediological functions: message, institution, medium and technology.