本文試圖對當今全球化時代的知識狀況作出宏觀描述。作者認為，伊格爾頓的《理論之後》的出版並不標誌著理論的死亡，而是從某個角度預示了當代理論思潮的發展進入了一個「後理論時代」，這一點尤其可以為這一時代的文化理論之多元發展走向所證實。在作者看來，「後理論時代」的理論思潮仍有著清晰的發展演變走向，但理論本身的功能已經發生了變化，純粹的側重形式的文學理論已經進入了衰落的狀態，另一方面，過分誇大理論的功能在「後理論時代」也無法自圓其說。由於文學研究疆界的不斷擴大，文學理論與文化理論融為一體，可以用於解釋全球化時代的各種文學和文化現象。中國的文化理論研究者已經越來越多地參與到國際性的理論爭鳴中，發出越來越強有力的聲音。在這樣一個民族和語言疆界模糊的時代，超越民族主義的文學和文化理論建構已成為大勢所趨。中國的理論研究者已經具備了與國際理論前沿直接對話並對其產生影響的基本條件，而漢語的普及和強勢地位則使得以語言來代替國別編寫新的文學史成為可能。最後，作者還以「儒學的重建」作為「後理論時代」中國知識份子參與國際理論論爭並向世界輸出理論的文化策略。

The present article is aimed to describe from a cross-cultural perspective the intellectual condition in the age of globalization. To the author, the publication of Terry Eagleton’s book After Theory in 2003 does not necessarily mean the death of theory, but rather, it anticipates from a certain angle that the current development of Western theory has entered a “post-theoretic era”, in which cultural theory has been developing in a more and more pluralistic orientation. The author holds that theory in this “post-theoretic era” still has a clear orientation of development and evolution, namely, those purely formalistically oriented theories are on the decline, but on the other hand, any inadequate over-emphasis on the function of theory is impossible. Literary theory, due to the increasing expansion of the boundary of literary studies, is merging into cultural theory, which could be used to interpret various literary and cultural phenomena in the age of globalization. In the “post-theoretic era,” Chinese theorists have more and more involved themselves in international theoretical debates uttering more and more forceful voice on international forum. In such an age when the boundaries of nations and languages are becoming more and more obscured,transnational study of literary and cultural theory has become a historical trend. Chinese theorists are now able to carry on equal dialogue with their international counterparts, and the popularization of the Chinese language has all the more promoted the possibility of writing a new literary history in Chinese. As a cultural and theoretical strategy, the author in the last part puts forward his own reconstruction of Neo-Confucianism which will contribute a great deal to the world in such a “post-theoretic era.”