Abstract: Since 1980s, with the industry of the Darwinian biographies booming, the contemporary ramification of Darwinism and its cultural interpretation have become a new focus in the field of cultural studies. The relevance of Darwin’s thought to literary studies has been a topic for continuous discussion. By adopting the theoretical stance and framework of Ethical Literary Criticism first advocated by Professor Nie Zhenzhao, such as ethical selection and ethical education, this paper intends to investigate the two opposing cultural interpretations of Darwin’s theory, address the difference between literary Darwinism, plus evolutionary literary criticism, and post-modern language and cultural theory, and re-examine the new ideas and discussions about the issues of existence, human nature and ethics within the context of evolution, so we may demonstrate the power of interpretation for Darwinian theory in literary criticism, reiterate the necessity for a mutual penetration and immersion between scientific and literary discourses, and unveil a warning about the mechanical tendency of the scientific centrism as well as its obstruction against the ethical value of life.

Key words: Ethical Literary Criticism, Evolutionary Literary Studies, literary Darwinism as a controversy, paradigm study