A Problematic Dichotomy in the Perspective of Field Theory: Hermeneutics and Quantitative Qnalysis in Distant Reading

Moretti’s “distant reading” is regarded as a pioneer and an exemplar of computational literary studies. “Distant reading” puts forward a strict boundary between hermeneutics and quantitative analysis. The relationship between the two and the nature of quantitative analysis in literary studies are key issues in the theory of computational literary studies. This paper analyzes the claims and issues behind Moretti’s dichotomy, and introduces Bourdieu’s field theory perspective, pointing out that the nature of quantitative analysis must be understood in relation to the larger disciplinary discursive practices in which it is embedded.